Sea of Silence
by Luchia13
Summary: COMPLETE! Pirate captain Duo gets prisoners worth much more than he bargained for. 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xMeiran. Please review! (It's over...sob)
1. The Pirate

A/N: Welcome to my new story!!! This one won't even resemble anything I've ever written afore. It's actually (gasp!) serious at times, not to mention has a plot! Scary, huh? Anyway, enjoy. It'll be very, very interesting.  
  
Warnings: Profanity, eventual (kinky) 1x2x1 & 3x4, and no Japanese in sight. Moderate OOC, extreme AU, lots and lots of pirates, and occasional nautical terms. YAAAY! Now, onto the story!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the main characters, but this plot is ALL MINE. Steal it, and die when I explode your computer.  
  
Sea of Silence  
  
Chapter 1  
The Pirate  
  
Trowa lowered the spyglass, frowning. He couldn't have seen that, could he? Raising the copper tube to his emerald eye once more, he squinted. Quickly lowering it once more, the nineteen-year-old sighed, collapsing the spyglass in on itself in a practiced motion.  
  
"It's him, alright," Trowa yelled back down, grabbing one of the many ropes on the crow's nest and sliding down to the sturdy deck. After two years, his calloused hands didn't even notice the rope burn that would normally have ripped an inexperienced man's palm to bloody strips. "He's not after us, though. Looks like he panicked after seeing another ship and is trying to leave." The other sailors looked from Trowa back to the captain, whose right leg was still bandaged, expectantly.  
  
"Well, we can't just let Wuffles get away," the captain said with a smirk, violet eyes glinting maliciously. "Tro, take the helm. Raise the banner!" There was a quick movement as the ring of sailors went off to do their work, Trowa's long legs sprinting up to the large navigator's wheel, face as impassive as a boulder. Duo made his way cautiously to his First Mate's side, arms crossed over his black shirt.  
  
Above them, two banners rose, the first being the telltale skull and crossbones of their kind. The smaller banner below was near as infamous. Two crossed black scythes on a white background- the flag of Shinigami, the most feared pirate in the world.  
  
"I almost feel bad about doing this to him again," Trowa muttered, only to be slapped on the back by the friendly captain. Although Duo was only seventeen, which was half the age of some of the deck hands, nobody messed with him, mostly because those who did ended up dead. Very, very dead.  
  
"Aww, come on! He's the only guy we let escape! We have to torment him, for reputation's sake at least," Duo said in that misleadingly cheerful way he had, checking his braid once more. "Plus, it's just too much fun to see Wuffikins again." Trowa smiled. Barely. It was true, Wufei was a blast to see again, but he just felt so bad when the kid's ship just kept being commandeered whenever they met on the job. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, we can always let Wufei keep a bit of his cargo." Trowa nodded slightly, and flipped the wheel to the left, quickly pursuing the merchantman.  
  
"Sails at the full," Trowa yelled out, and the crew went scurrying to comply as fast as possible. They were the best of the best, and were done in an insane minute and a half. "We need to get up to ramming speed," he muttered to Duo, who just smiled.  
  
"Say no more," he muttered back and quickly pulled on his right leg's bandage, only to jump to the deck, glaring. "Faster! Dante, take to the ram!" The crew, knowing that glare was lethal at times, ran to their positions, Duo striding to the aft after seeing everyone else scurry to work.  
  
"Brace for impact," Trowa yelled, aiming the ship straight for Wufei's merchantman. The crew held on for dear life as Dante swiveled the long bladed ram into position with another rope, and tied it securely just in time to jump to the side as the nose of the _Deathscythe_ rammed straight in to the _Nataku_, Wufei visible at the helm, cursing with all his might.  
  
Upon impact, Duo hit the wall with a pained grunt. Luckily, his leg wasn't bleeding again as he quickly returned to the deck, watching for any opposition. Wufei's yelling bombarded him as soon as his feet touched the deck.  
  
"Not this time, Maxwell," Wufei ranted, waving his arms insanely as Trowa approached with Duo. "Not this time! I'm transporting people, not goods! You can't get anything off of me." The black-haired boy glared as Duo crossed his arms.  
  
"Tell you what. Give us your most valuable person for ransom, and we'll tow ya back to port," Duo said cheerily. "You'd come with us, of course. Your crew and all the people stay on _Nataku_, but we keep you for ransom too." Wufei glared at Duo, and looked around.  
  
"My wife's on board this time," he muttered, glaring. "If you swear she's safe, you get whatever you want." Duo immediately nodded, Trowa in sync, and Wufei stalked back to his ship.  
  
"I didn't know Wufei was married," Trowa muttered, and Duo nodded.  
  
"I was best man," he said with a hint of a smile.  
  
Four minutes later, Wufei came back onboard with two young men in tow, one a smiling blonde who looked like an angel, the other a scowling brunette who looked very, very dangerous.  
  
"Meet Quatre and his bodyguard," Wufei smirked, only to receive a glare from the brunette. "He's ridiculously rich." Quatre smiled up at Trowa, clearly mistaking the boy for the captain.  
  
"Good afternoon," Quatre said cheerily. "I'm Quatre Rabera Winner, at your service. This is my good friend Heero. He's protective, but not really my bodyguard." Trowa and Duo looked back at each other. The boy was either a fool, or brilliant. Duo cleared his throat, and began.  
  
"I'm Shinigami, this is Heavyarms, my first mate," he said, but couldn't help but smile at the blonde. "We're pirates, if you didn't know." The brown-haired boy made a "hmph" sound, and Duo glared at the boy, only to be met by the iciest, sexiest blue eyes he'd ever seen. Duo couldn't help but blink his own violet eyes to shake off the feeling.  
  
"Wufei called you Maxwell," the brunette-Heero, was it? - said fearlessly, and immediately a knife's point was at Duo's throat. "What's your REAL name?"  
  
In a lightning movement, Duo's curved dagger was at Heero's throat, equally as close to cutting the boy's jugular.  
  
"What's yours," Duo sneered, only to be cut off by Quatre sighing, rubbing his temples exaggeratedly.  
  
"Put it down, Heero," the blonde groaned. "We're not killing anyone today, remember? And you too, Captain. Either put it down, or kill us right now. Honestly, I don't have the patience to sit through a game like this." But, both boys remained in place.  
  
"Just put it down, damn it," Trowa finally yelled out, tired of the staring match. Duo grudgingly dropped his blade, Heero immediately after.  
  
"Latch the Nataku, and prepare to go" Duo yelled out, and the crew scrambled to get away from the captain's wrath. His purple eyes were almost burning from rage at the new kid. "And you'd better watch yourself, boy, or I WILL kill you."  
  
"Mutual," the boy said, and Duo stormed up to his large quarters, which half of was actually customized for storage and weapons. Of course, nobody knew that except Trowa, since the captain was smart enough to not trust his own crew. God, he was tired. With a groan, Duo kicked off his boots and pulled off his shirt, taking a moment to examine the tattoo on his right shoulder blade. The Greek letter phi, which resembled an I through an O, burned in black ink against his skin, making Duo frown and pull his shirt back on, and his boots back on.  
  
"Trowa! Get in here right now," he said sharply, and the taller boy trotted over to the captain, who shut the door quickly and pulled his shirt off again. "It's black." Trowa, looking pensive, pulled off his own shirt, and Duo gasped. Trowa's tattoo, the Greek letter gamma, which resembled a digital clock's version of a lowercase r, was black as well instead of the light orange it regularly was.  
  
"What's it mean," Trowa asked concerned, and Duo shrugged.  
  
"Hell, I don't even know why I have that thing to begin with! If it decides to change color all of a sudden, that's just what happens," Duo said, pulling his shirt on one more time and straightening it. "Watch the new kids; I'm going to check Wufei's." Trowa nodded, and after replacing his own shirt walked back outside with Duo, who quickly scampered over to the _Nataku_.  
  
"Wuffles," Duo yelled out, and Wufei's glaring face appeared.  
  
"What now," he snapped, and Duo strode over only to pull his friend into the captain's quarters.  
  
"Trowa and my tattoos turned black," he said quickly, and Wufei nodded.  
  
"Mine's been black ever since we took those two onboard," he confided. "There's something very strange going on here." Wufei's Greek pi tattoo was as black as the other two's.  
  
"Do you think they're too dangerous," Duo asked, all business now, and Wufei shook his head.  
  
"I don't know. But, my money's on the blonde being more than just rich," he said quietly. "They triggered us somehow, and that can't be a good thing. I mean, the kid has a bodyguard! That means his family's protecting more than money." Duo nodded, and adjusted his shirt.  
  
"Thanks, Wuffles," Duo said with a grin, and ruffled the other boy's black ponytail playfully.  
  
"Now get out of here, or I'll sick my wife on you," Wufei said, trying to act angry, and Duo with a mocking bow scampered back to the _Deathscythe_.  
  
"Welcome back," Quatre said merrily, smiling sweetly at the captain. "So, what's going on, if I may ask?"  
  
"We're taking you two and the _Nataku_ to our island, and then we'll ransom you to whoever wants ya," Duo said with a wink, only to find himself in a glaring contest with the brunette again. And secretly, Duo was enjoying the chance to look into those big, beautiful- Duo stopped his thoughts immediately. "Damn it, I'm going to kill you one of these days, kid!" The two's contest broke off, and Heero smirked.  
  
"I'm older than you," he said. "Seems a bit hypocritical to call me kid."  
  
"Alright, you're an old man with an annoying vocabulary," Duo yelled out, and found himself storming back into his room and taking another nap.  
  
"It's his leg," Trowa said quietly to the blonde boy. "He always gets a bit angry when he's injured and can't do anything about it except wait." The blonde's light blue eyes twinkled merrily.  
  
"Just like Heero. Every time he loses at anything, he gets all- what? It's true, and you know it! See," Quatre said, interrupted in the middle by Heero's cold glance. Now, he was smiling back up at Trowa. "I think he likes the captain. It's not often Heero gets put in his place."  
  
"That whack to your head did more damage than I thought," Heero growled, and Quatre chuckled.  
  
"You're injured," Trowa asked, feeling concerned about the boy's well being for no apparent reason. Quatre shrugged.  
  
"Just a scratch. When we were rammed, I fell down a bit roughly," Quatre explained, and pointed to a cut on the side of his head. Trowa nodded.  
  
"I'm going to clean it anyway," he said, and pulled the smaller boy down to the medical bay, leaving Heero alone to glare at the ocean's horizon and anything else that moved.  
  
-----  
  
A/N: This one's short, just because it's the first chapter. It'll be longer, don't you worry.  
  
So, what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Don't know what pi looks like? Please review! And thank you for reading!


	2. The Dog

A/N: Chapter 2! Chapter 2! How exciting! This chapter's a tad bit confusing, but that's intentional. And yes, I do skip time each chapter, usually.  
  
Warnings: Profanity, eventual (kinky) 1x2x1 & 3x4. Moderate OOC, extreme AU, lots and lots of pirates, and ship talk.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the main characters. The plot's mine, though.  
  
Sea of Silence  
  
Chapter 2  
The Dog  
  
There was an eerie silence onboard. The deckhands moved quietly, barely disturbing the constant quiet thrashing of the waves against the hull.  
  
Down below, in the First Mate's quarters, were three young men. Trowa was lying easily on the wooden floor surrounded by discarded blankets the blonde and cheery Quatre had demanded he take. The blonde himself slept calmly in the queen-sized bed, curled around his blanket cocoon. The third boy, however, couldn't sleep as he lay silently next to his lifelong friend, staring at the ceiling.  
  
With a barely audible sigh, Heero got out of bed, dressing quickly before he slunk towards the door.  
  
"...you aren't going to escape, are you," Trowa muttered without opening his eyes, and Heero shook his head.  
  
"Just getting some air," he said, and opened the door as quietly as he closed it.  
  
The crisp air relaxed him a bit as he strode across the wooden floor, stopping on the right side of the boat. Honestly, he had no idea if it was port, or starboard, or what. Ships had never been his area of expertise. For a moment, he looked around, catching the fleeting sight of sleepy sailors at their posts tugging at an occasional rope. Wait, line. That was the ship term.  
  
Heero frowned. He'd have some trouble with adapting to being on the ocean for so long, that already was obvious. With a grimace, he added captive to the list. With a quick flick of his eye, he noticed the _Nataku_, attached to the left side of the ship, was unmanned. Then again, it didn't really need to be, what with being lashed to the most feared ship in the water.  
  
His thoughts were broken when a disheveled pirate captain opened his door glumly. His boots were unlaced, and his shirt...Heero quickly averted his eyes. He was not going to let himself even think about that bastard as anything but a pirate, albeit an occasionally attractive one. Heero frowned. He hadn't meant to add that to the description.  
  
"If you're gonna jump, go ahead," the pirate grumbled, sounding groggy and ticked off at the same time. "Spare us the trouble of fishing out your body, though, and just slice your throat." Heero glared at the pirate.  
  
"I was just out enjoying the air, until you showed up," he muttered, leaning against the rail.  
  
"Can't sleep, then," the captain asked, and after Heero's glance smiled. "Good. It's about time something wiped that smirk off your face, even if it's the ocean and not me." Heero chuckled.  
  
"Like you could," he said, appraising the captain's bandaged leg. "What happened? Shark bite you?" He chuckled.  
  
"Took a blade on our last commandeer," he said. "It was either my leg, or Trowa. I chose my leg. It'll heal in no time, and then I can whoop your butt off my ship." For a while, the two just stared out at the midnight ocean. "So what's the deal with you and the blonde?"  
  
"He's my friend," Heero said, wary of the dreaming boy. The guy was either an idiot, or brilliant. "I look out for him."  
  
"Why," he asked, sweeping one of the loose strands of hair behind his ear. Heero blinked, and the pirate could sense his confusion. "Why do you look out for him? I mean, you act like a bodyguard, but you do it for free? That's just bad business, if you ask me."  
  
"I didn't," Heero snapped, and walked back into the ship. God, why could that...BOY get him so riled up? The kid wouldn't even understand if he told him. And why would he tell the kid anyway? He's the enemy. He's the one who rammed Wufei's ship, and keeping Quatre and himself captive to sell them back to whoever wanted them. Heero slumped against the hallway in front of Trowa's door.  
  
This was just stupid. Heero Yuy does not get emotional, illogical, or impulsive. He does his job. Right now, that was get Quatre out of here and out to Algon. Heero shook his head, trying to get rid of all the thoughts and emotions. With a deep breath, he returned to the first mate's quarters.  
  
"Have fun," Trowa asked on the floor.  
  
"Hn," Heero said. If you count confusing the hell out of yourself, yes. He pulled off his shoes and returned to bed.  
  
_ "You're getting slow, boy," a voice in the distance grunted. Fog swirled around his body, a sword in his hand. "I didn't train you to end up slow." He took to his opening stance.  
  
"I'm done with you, old man," Heero stated calmly, ready for the attack. "We're all done." The voice chuckled, and changed. Now, it was far more familiar.  
  
"Come now, you know that isn't true," it said. Glasses glinted in the distance. "It's never over for you five." Five.  
  
Five.  
  
Time shifted. Heero was six years old, standing in a dirt square. Rain turned the dirt to mud. Three figures stood behind him, one in front. The figure in front was pure black.  
  
"Of course you'll see him again," an adult said cheerily. "It's just his time to leave!" The three behind him nodded, but Heero remained motionless along with the black figure. A woman in a long dress ushered the black figure away, waving crazily.  
  
"Bye, guys," the figure waved, changing, as it disappeared.  
  
The world changed. Now, Heero was seven. Two figures stood behind him, one in front. A tall man ushered the other away.  
  
"Bye," he said casually. He too wavered, and was gone.  
  
Now, he was nine. Quatre stood at his left, and the figure in front stood casually. "Take care, Winner," he said. "Yuy." A man with a sword at his hip ushered him out. They wavered, and were gone.  
  
"Why, boy? Did you ask why," that taunting, harsh voice asked. He was once again in the fog, sword at the ready. "Don't you already know?" There was a crack, and pain swirled across his shoulder. "Recite!"  
  
"My duty is to protect, to kill, and to serve. Above all, safeguard the prince. Above all, place others. Below all, place yourself," Heero murmured. "I am the guardian." There was a satisfied sound from the fog.  
  
"You're a dog, Yuy," the voice grated, and a symbol lit under Heero's feet. "That's all you'll ever be. Now, wake up. You're wasting time with all this sleep, you lazy bastard."  
  
"Heero."  
_  
"Heero, wake up," Quatre said, eternally cheerful. Heero could have punched him for it. "Bad night?"  
  
"Hn," Heero stated. Understatement of the day. Quatre smiled at him.  
  
"Well, Trowa's offered to give us a tour of the ship," he said merrily. "Want to come?"  
  
"No," Heero said. He was NOT a morning person. You'd think after living with him for all his eighteen years he'd know this. Quatre just smiled at him again.  
  
"Glad to see you trust Trowa," he said, and ruffled Heero's hair. He hated when Quatre did that. "Bye, grumpy." Quatre bounced off the bed, fully dressed. Heero groaned as the door opened to reveal full daylight. It had to be ten, at least.  
  
Five minutes later, he walked back on deck. There was nothing interesting going on, save that annoyingly sexy pirate steering the ship with whatever that big wheel was called. Heero had given up on attempting nautical terms. Left was left, right was right, the bathroom was the bathroom, and rope was rope. It didn't matter anymore.  
  
He walked back over to the side where he'd been before, enjoying the breeze on his skin.  
  
"I could push you, if it'd help," the pirate said. Heero barely held back a groan. He hadn't even heard the kid come over.  
  
"Just leave me alone, damn it," he grumbled, and the pirate chuckled.  
  
"Call me Cap'n Duo," he said, slapping Heero's back friendlily. "Now, get with the suicide. I want to laugh when you start freezing your butt off and drowning at the same time." Now, Heero did groan.  
  
"Did I forget to tell you I'd kill you," he asked, and the kid- Duo-grinned.  
  
"No, and I didn't either," he said, and turned back towards the wheel-thingy. Heero had given up on eloquence as well. "Have you eaten anything since yesterday?" Heero shook his head.  
  
"Scurry over to Wuffles' ship. He'll feed you," he said with a wink, and was immediately back to Devilish Pirate Captain mode as his hands took the wheel. Heero suddenly realized he was hungry, and did as Duo had suggested.  
  
Onboard the _Nataku_, it was almost a ghost ship. Whereas on the pirate vessel sailors were constantly moving, pulling on one rope or another, the hands on Wufei's ship just sat around playing cards. The difference astounded him. Wufei himself was lounging near the wheel, polishing his sword. That in itself made Heero smirk.  
  
Meanwhile, Quatre was busy with Trowa aboard the Deathscythe. They walked further and further into the ship.  
  
"...So, the kitchen's called the galley, and the bathroom's called the head," Quatre asked, and Trowa nodded, amused to no end by the younger boy. "Why is it different?" He shrugged.  
  
"That's just how it is," he replied cryptically. "Honestly, I can't say. You might ask the captain or one of the older men." Quatre nodded. "So, what brought you and Heero out into the ocean?"  
  
"Well, we're traveling to Algon," Quatre said truthfully. "We've been planning to ever since we were little." Trowa nodded.  
  
"So, it's pleasure, not business," he clarified, and at Quatre's blush explained. "I mean, it's for fun. I'm not implying anything between you and Heero." He nodded, blush dissipating. "But, I have to wonder, why Algon?"  
  
"What's this here," Quatre asked, suddenly intrigued by the single locked door. Trowa sighed, but decided to let him avoid the subject.  
  
"That's a secret, hence the lockage," Trowa said, jiggling the doorknob for emphasis. "Only the captain's got a key. Well, the captain and me, but I'm not going to let you in. Duo would kill me." Quatre laughed, and butterflies rammed against Trowa's stomach.  
  
"Well, can you tell me at least? I'm very trustworthy," he said, looking innocent as always. Trowa shook his head. "Okay. So, anything else back here?" Quatre looked around, and realized they were at the end of the hallway.  
  
"Just you and me," Trowa responded. "We're on the second-to- lowest level, and with the lowest level being the bilge, the tour is most certainly done." Quatre gave him a confused look.  
  
"Bilge," he asked, and Trowa gaped at the boy. How could he not know what that was?  
  
"The...ah...waste area," he said, trying to phrase it politely. Now, the boy looked embarrassed. "So, you've probably been on land all your life. What's that like?" Trowa quickly turned the conversation, along with turning them back to deck.  
  
"Well, it's pretty hard. For us, at least. We've been pressured all our lives, though. Both of us are very good fighters, but I'm also politically inclined, so I learned all sorts of business things and useless diplomatic devices," he said, waving it off with his hand. "Heero...he's different."  
  
"How so? He seems a bit cold, but that's not 'different'," Trowa asked, making quotation marks in the air. Quatre giggled, and those damn insects came back.  
  
"He just is," the blonde said mysteriously. "So, what do you do the rest of the day?" Trowa shrugged.  
  
"Basically, my job is to yell at people when Duo's not on deck, and basically do everything Duo is doing right now," Trowa responded with a shrug. "But, when he is on deck, I'm normally in the Crow's Nest. I like it up there." Quatre waited for an explanation. Lord, the kid knew nothing about ships. "It's basically a big barrel on the top of the mast where I scout out for ships and stuff." Quatre nodded.  
  
"That seems pretty dangerous," he said. Trowa shrugged.  
  
"Everything's dangerous on a pirate ship," he responded. Soon, they were back on deck. Duo was looking moody as he leaned against the Navigator's Wheel. On second thought, he looked sleepy. Well, he hadn't ever been one for sleep, since Hilde's disappearance. Trowa strode up to the wheel, and Duo blinked at him.  
  
"Hiya, Tro," he said. "Have fun playing tour guide?" Trowa frowned. He was either sleep deprived, or drunk. Duo's yawn answered the question.  
  
"Go get some sleep. You look terrible," he said concernedly, but Duo brushed the comment aside with a wave of his hand.  
  
"Nah, I'll be fine. You just worry about the blonde and company," Duo said, yawning again.  
  
"Did you get any sleep last night," Trowa asked quietly, and the braided boy was quiet. "Duo. Did you sleep?" Duo's violet eyes glared at his first mate.  
  
"Butt out, man," he said. "I don't care if I haven't slept in three days. I've done it before." Nobody noticed Heero return to the pirate ship.  
  
"Duo, go in and go to bed," Trowa said dangerously. Violet glinted, losing its haziness momentarily.  
  
"Are you mutinying," he asked, equally dangerous.  
  
"No. Go to bed," Trowa said calmly, and the hazy purple returned. Duo blinked a tad bit frantically, and then smiled.  
  
"'Night, Tro," he said, and fell to the wooden floor. Trowa slung him onto his shoulder just as Heero walked next to Quatre. Duo's door opened, and the captives noticed the sparseness of the captain's quarters. And the crates. Trowa, taking care with the captain's wounded leg, set him on the bed and began pulling his boots off. But, mid-unlacing, he swore and ran back out to the wheel, which had slowly been swinging left.  
  
"Quatre, help me out and hold onto the wheel while I take care of Duo," he said, and a nervous Quatre slipped forward to wrap his hands on the wood. "No, not like that, like-never mind. It's okay." Trowa swore again. He couldn't just leave Duo in there, and nobody on this shift was trustworthy or skilled enough to take the helm. And the pirate captain would kill him if someone gained entry to his room. Trowa sighed. Damn that boy's stubbornness.  
  
"I'll take care of Duo, if you want," Quatre interrupted his thoughts, and Trowa frowned. Normally, this wouldn't bother him so much. On the thought of bothering, an idea popped into his head.  
  
"If you would, please get Wufei," Trowa asked the blonde politely, his mind too absorbed with the adorable younger boy to realize Heero was standing right next to him. Quatre nodded, and crossed to the other ship.  
  
And Duo decided to take that moment to begin to fall off his bed. For a moment, Heero looked around helplessly. Hell, he wasn't supposed to care if the injured, unconscious kid rammed headfirst into an anvil. But, he wasn't as heartless as he'd always wanted to be. Damn.  
  
With a sigh, the brunette sprung forward and grabbed the braided boy just before he fell face-first onto the floorboards. Oh, crap. Heero hadn't ever expected a pirate to smell this good. It was like the sea, or maybe rain, mixed in with some nameable sweet thing he was too swept up to identify. He quickly snapped out of it, and gently put the bastard back on the bed.  
  
Partly fearing for his life (which in itself was confusing; Heero had no qualms about dying), he walked back out the door just as Quatre and Wufei trotted to the disaster area, Trowa eyeing him with interest. Heero glared at him, and returned to his usual post at the side. Wufei took the wheel, Quatre looked around helpfully, and Trowa went back to putting the captain in bed and tucking him in. He locked the door behind him.  
  
--------  
  
A/N: So, that's chapter 2! Look, this is going up at a moderately decent hour. I'm so proud. (And, I got this up MUCH sooner than I expected! I deserve chocolate!)  
  
Well, thanks for reading, and please review! Special thanks to (chronologically, of course):  
  
Pretty Pilot!  
  
Fire of Phoenix!  
  
Angel-of-shadows123!  
  
Mlaine!  
  
Emmy-chan!  
  
Regina!  
  
Wow...that's so cool! So many people on only the first chapter! (Does little happy dance.) 


	3. The Soul

A/N: And we're to chapter 3 now! Hooray! This chapter is even more plotty goodness, sexual tension and the like. So thrilling! Anyway, onto the warnings! (Oh, and if you want to do something really weird, listen to the end credits of Moulin Rouge reading this chapter. It strangely fits, if you read at the same speed as me. Also works moderately last chapter. Start it here, by the way. Beat starts post-italics.)  
  
Warnings: Profanity, eventual 1x2x1 & 3x4. Moderate OOC (but for good reasons, mind you!), extreme AU, many a pirate, and ship speakage. Teensy bit of 2x1.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the story, but I'll give it to you for 9.3 million dollars via chocolate dollar bills. (And that's cheap, too!)  
  
Sea of Silence  
  
Chapter 3  
The Soul  
  
_ He sat in a wooden room, occasional flies appearing and disappearing through the hole in the floor. Casually, he yawned, stretching back like a black-clad cat as he awaited the usual torment of the night.  
  
It didn't disappoint.  
  
"Phew! God, Duo, how can you stand to sit around in here all day," her voice came through the hole, and he couldn't help but turn towards it. Her cheery face popped out, smiling at him. "Come on, you're my big brother! Just come play with us for a while. Pleeeasee?" She batted her eyes at him playfully.  
  
"Go away, Hilde," he managed to utter. She was always the worst. Now, she pouted.  
  
"What, too busy on your ship to have a little fun?" She winked at him, and waved him over. He remained stationary. "Damn it, Duo, stop being such a boring pirate and come have fun!" He turned his face back to the wooden wall. He'd gone down that hole before, and knew exactly what he'd find. "If you don't come, you won't see them." He bowed his head.  
  
"It's better if I don't see them, Hilde," he said. "It doesn't hurt so much in the morning."  
  
"What, you think I'm going to spare you from my daily beatings just for not going down a stupid hole," she asked, and laughed. "I'll always be there to pull your hair when you least expect it."  
  
"BUT YOU'RE NOT," Duo finally yelled. "YOU'RE ALL GONE WHEN I WAKE UP!" His eyes clenched together, his hands tucked into fists, and he bit his lower lip. It hurt so much. "I...I don't want to be alone..."  
_  
Duo woke up with a jolt, feeling the blood run down his mouth from the bite. He looked around frantically, part of him still expecting to see a worried Hilde, or anyone, rush into the room. But, nobody ever did.  
  
He stretched out with a sigh. Not like he wanted them to, or anything. It was always annoying to explain nightmares.  
  
With a quick perusal of the room, he was soon dressed, his leg re-bandaged (the blood was starting to clot onto the fabric), and ready to face the day. Or, night, as it seemed to be. With a quick glance, Duo noted his tattoo remained a solid black. Then, feeling a bit more devious, he put on the biggest hat he could find, which he quickly took off again. Devious did not equal looking like an idiot.  
  
As he stepped out the locked door, the first thing he noticed was Wufei at the wheel, looking incredibly bored and sleepy.  
  
"Well, I never knew you cared," Duo said, rubbing the boy's head affectionately. Wufei smacked the pirate's wrist away.  
  
"Only because my ship's attached am I up here, Maxwell," Wufei growled. "It's about time you woke up, too. We've been without you for a day and a half, now." Duo chuckled.  
  
"Is it my fault nobody woke me up for dinner," he asked, and Wufei smirked.  
  
"I think it'd be more around the lines of breakfast now," he added. "I'd say it's about two thirty in the morning." Wufei paused. "We were worried." Duo, being Duo, slung his arm around the other captain, grinning.  
  
"How sweet, 'Fei," he said. "But, no flowers?"  
  
"We're in the middle of the ocean, idiot," Wufei retorted.  
  
"Making them all the more meaningful," Duo said, and then removed his arm. "So, how long until we get to the island?" Wufei scowled.  
  
"We'll reach it at about noon," he said. "Not that I know where it is, mind you! Or like I want to know!"  
  
"Sheesh, Wu-man, lighten up! Nobody would even believe me if I said you were an ex-pirate," Duo grumbled, and Wufei barely held off a blush. "Ha! Wait till I tell M-fff!" He was cut off by Wufei's hand slamming on top of his mouth, and staying there.  
  
"Shut up, Maxwell," he growled. "I'm supposed to be a respectable captain now, remember?" Duo nodded, feeling a little glum, and Wufei went back to the wheel. "Go bother someone else, and go back to bed." Duo gave the 'respectable captain' a mock salute, and trotted down the stairs, only to spy one Heero standing in his normal place, looking both somber and sexy. Possibly suicidal as well.  
  
For a moment, he stood, just examining the kid. Blue military- issue pants, loose white shirt, brown belt...he looked really hot. Duo himself was just in his normal outfit; black pants, black shirt, black belt...basically everything black. He hoped it could pass for good- looking.  
  
"You must really like the view from there," Duo grumbled, absentmindedly checking his braid. It was really, really loose, but still decent. Heero shrugged.  
  
"Better view than Trowa staring at sleeping Quatre," he said nonchalantly, and Duo almost fell over laughing. "What?"  
  
"I thought I was the only one to notice," Duo finally said after getting himself back together, still laughing a bit. "He does stare though, doesn't he?" Heero nodded, watching the night waves hit the hull.  
  
"You okay," Heero asked cautiously, and Duo barely kept the smirk from his face.  
  
"I'll be fine," he said. "No need to worry I won't wake up one of these nights and offer to kill you." Heero did smirk.  
  
"You weren't always a pirate, were you," he asked. Honestly, it was more like a statement. Duo leaned back on the railing, staring straight at the captive while keeping his back to the ocean.  
  
"Nobody just wakes up and decides, 'hey, I'll be a pirate when I grow up'. At least, if they do, they're an idiot and get killed by the first pirate they see. You just get pushed into it," Duo said with a shrug. "Me, I got more shoved than pushed. Fast, hard, and not very polite. So, what made you be whatever you are, since you're clearly not a 'free bodyguard'." Duo made little quotation marks in the air.  
  
"I was brought up to be what I am," he stated. "Both Quatre and I were."  
  
"And what would that be, a cute guy with good grammar and a sword," Duo asked, and without another word Heero punched him in the face.  
  
The recoil sent him spinning, but before the older boy could make his escape Duo himself pulled out his curved knife and sliced Heero's chest. A shout rang out from Wufei and the other deckhands, and both Duo and Heero ended up passing out at the same time.  
  
"...the stupidest thing I've ever heard of," was the first thing a groggy Duo heard as his eyes opened to se a spinning room. "Duo, you are an idiot, you understand that?"  
  
"Mutiny," he grumbled incoherently. "I'll kill you if you mutiny, Trowa." Trowa shook his head.  
  
"I thought even you'd be smart enough to not pick a fight when you'd just slept for 32 hours," Trowa growled. "Especially with a TRAINED KILLER, Duo Maxwell! You are a MORON!"  
  
"Shut up! I didn't say anything...I think? No insulting of parentage, no verbal abuse, no..." Duo's head slammed back against his pillow. "Shit. I think I might have hit on him."  
  
"WHAT?!" Trowa was next to the bed, staring confusedly at Duo. "I thought you guys hated each other!" Duo nodded.  
  
"We do," he grumbled. "Doesn't mean I can't think he's hot, though." Trowa put a hand on his head.  
  
"You're not a moron, you're insane," he muttered. "You both are."  
  
"I hope he's bleeding," Duo grumbled, and Trowa shook his head.  
  
"You just grazed his chest, but something made him faint," Trowa said. "Quatre said he's never seen Heero faint. Ever. Right now, he's in my room."  
  
"So, in other words, the room right below mine," Duo grumbled, and sat up. "And what do you mean, trained killer? He's just a kid."  
  
"No, _you're_ just a kid. He's eighteen," Trowa grumbled, and received a half-hearted glare. "Quatre told me that while he was trained in diplomacy, Heero was trained in the complete opposite." Duo shook his head.  
  
"Damn, these guys get more confusing every day," he grumbled, and then saw the sunlight. "He still out?" Trowa nodded. "Good." With that, Duo got out of the bed. "I can't help but wonder what the hell they're doing out here. Check their backs yet?"  
  
"I haven't gotten close enough to Heero yet, but while you were out I saw Quatre's. He's got one. It looks like a sideways W was used for an E," he said, drawing it in the air. Duo nodded.  
  
"Sigma. The Soul, or The Dreamer," Duo muttered. "The first one to make sense in all these crazy tattoos." Duo sighed. "So, what do we do now? Tap Heero on the shoulder, and say, 'hey, I just sliced you and made you faint, wanna take your shirt off?'" Trowa smirked.  
  
"You know you want to," he said, and Duo smirked. Yes he did. But, he shook it off quickly. He'd just been decked by the guy. Literally.  
  
"It's creepy how well you know me," Duo said, and stood up.  
  
"We're almost to the island," Wufei's voice called out from the doorway, followed by the random sputtering of excuses why he knew. Duo shook his head again, and got dressed. He'd be damned if the kid got on deck before him.  
  
"Thanks, 'Fei," Duo murmured, buckling his belt. Trowa still stood right next to the captain. "Tro, I'll be fine. Go do your job." Trowa looked at him hesitantly. "GO." The older boy shrugged, and walked out on deck.  
  
"You really need to pick your fights better, Maxwell," Wufei smirked, and Duo glared at him. "One hit, and you're down. Losing your touch?"  
  
"More like my mind," Duo responded seriously. Wufei didn't seem all that surprised. Then, the usual Shinigami smile crept onto the braided boy's face. "Nothing to worry about, Wuffles! I'm still here to annoy you to death! EVERYONE SING A SHANTY!"  
  
The entire deck, save Trowa, erupted into a cavalcade of tunes. Snippets of the most inappropriate songs in the world wafted to Wufei's ears, and he visibly gagged at some of the lines. Finally, he gave up and ran off to his own ship, Duo laughing so hard he fell to the deck.  
  
"Stop," Trowa yelled out, and the singing ended as the taller boy strode to the small stairway. "Sorry about that." Quatre smiled.  
  
"Actually, I was wondering if I could learn some," he said, azure eyes shining. "I only know one. Want to hear it?"  
  
"NO," Wufei yelled out, and Quatre laughed.  
  
"It's not nearly as the other ones, but it's pretty inappropriate," he said earnestly, and Trowa nodded.  
  
"Maybe later. I think Duo and the crew have tortured him enough," Trowa said, trying not to notice how perfect the younger boy was.  
  
"You can never torture Wufei enough," Duo said indignantly. "If I hadn't tortured him, he wouldn't be married, or a captain, or even out of th-"  
  
"MAXWELL," Wufei yelled. "What did you do to my sword?!" Duo looked around hurriedly, until in an act of desperation he flung himself back into his quarters, locking the door. When the black-haired captain finally reached the door and failed repeatedly to open the door, he stalked back to his own ship with a yell of, "INJUSTICE!" Trowa noticed the black stain that followed Wufei's hand everywhere, and was also present on the side of his clothing.  
  
"They do this a lot," Quatre asked, a bit concerned. Trowa nodded, taking the helm.  
  
"I think it's their way of saying they missed each other," Trowa said calmly as something was thrown overboard the other ship by its captain.  
  
"How long has it been since they saw each other, then," Quatre asked.  
  
"Three weeks," he stated. "How's Heero?" Quatre scratched his head absentmindedly.  
  
"He's still unconscious, and I'm sure he'll be Angry Heero when he wakes up," Quatre said, and sighed. "And I was hoping Bored Heero would stay around longer."  
  
"I thought that was Angry Heero," Trowa grumbled, and Quatre laughed again.  
  
"No, Angry Heero blows more stuff up," the blonde said. Trowa left the comment unsaid.  
  
"Want to tell me why you're headed for Algon," Trowa asked in his calm voice, and Quatre searched his face. Acceptance glowed in his expressive eyes.  
  
"Because, we're going to find our families," he said simply. "We're both orphans." Trowa nodded.  
  
"I am too, although I have an older sister I met a couple years ago. Wufei and Duo are, too," Trowa said, and thoughts started to pile up in his head.  
  
They were all orphans, all had tattoos on their backs (assuming Heero did as well), and when they met each other, they turned black? It made a little sense, but brought up even more questions to remain unanswered. The pensive look on the smaller boy's face seemed to be following the same route, which made Trowa even more worried. Did he know about the tattoos?  
  
"I'm going to go check on Heero again," Quatre said quickly, and walked down into the pirate ship, leaving answerless problems in his wake.  
  
-------  
  
A/N: Shorter? Yes. Faster for me to have up? Yes. Same content, just not as lengthy? ...We'll see. Well, that was certainly lots and lots of plotness! HOORAY! I could do a list of all the Unanswered Questions (What happened to Hilde? Why did Heero faint? What's with the tattoos? What did Duo do to Wufei's sword? Just who IS Wufei married to?), but then I have less time for future chapters. And sorry if that's kinda cliffhangery. It's not supposed to be...  
  
Thanks for reading! Please review! Thanks to (time wise, as always):  
  
Regina! Mlaine! j!  
  
I really appreciate it! ::eats ten bars of chocolate::  
  
(Stay tuned for the next one, where PEOPLE KISS! That's all I'm gonna say...) 


	4. The Captive

A/N: Chapter 4! Wow. That's so cool... Anyway, there are two things I'd like to explain up here, and one request as well. 1, this has no guns or cannons in it, just because I wanted it as extreme AU as possible and not close to the normal pirate stories (PotC). And, 2, the pirate island is...well, psycho, and none of the places in this really exist (AU, remember?). So, if you keep wondering where Algon is, it's right next to Sanc, on the coast of the As-Of-Yet-Unnamed Ocean. =D And, my request is someone PLEASE tell me how to spell Hilde and Treize's last names correctly. I would REALLY appreciate it! (Khusheywhat? Schbeithehey? I can only spell "inappropriate" German phrases.)  
  
Warnings: Profanity, some 1x2x1 & 3x4. Slight OOC (that makes sense in this AU), extreme AU, crazy pirate island, and nautical phraseology. (Officially, we have 34, and some...I guess it'd be 12x1? So confusing...)  
  
Disclaimer: You know I only own the story. Hey, I have a mint I bought! I own that too! YAAAY!  
  
Sea of Silence  
  
Chapter 4  
The Captive

"I wish you would just get up," Quatre said, closing Trowa's door as the shrouded figure's eyes fluttered open. "You don't have to act, it's just me." Heero glared at his friend. "Would you like to tell me why you fainted?" The brunette sat up, noticing the hint of a cut on his chest.  
  
"No," he stated simply, and put his shirt back on. In all honesty, Heero would rather tell a monkey than Quatre. There was some information just too valuable for the cheery blonde. "It's day." The other boy closed the door calmly, and latched it. Oh, shit. He was in for it now.  
  
"I don't know about you, Heero, but I'd say it's bad manners for punching a man in the face," Quatre seethed. "It's about time you started talking, damn it! I'm sick of this. You disappear in the middle of the night, you refuse to trust anyone except myself and Trowa, and even us you keep on a short leash. And then, you go and get yourself sliced by a pirate! I don't know what your problem is, but it's about time you told me why. you. fainted." Heero stared at him blandly. "Now, Yuy!" He'd never known Quatre could be this scary.  
  
"I was surprised," he said simply. Quatre frowned at him, and Heero continued. "I was having a discussion with Duo Maxwell, when he said...something, and in a moment of shock, I slipped into instinct, and punched him. Hard. In return, he tried to slice me. There was something else in the blow, though, than the blade. That impact knocked me unconscious. I did NOT faint." Quatre plopped down on the bed.  
  
"So, what did he say that made you turn to impulse," Quatre asked, and to shock the world, Heero Yuy's cheeks turned a shade redder.  
  
"He...he suggested he finds me attractive," Heero said quietly, too busy to notice his near-brother gaping at him.  
  
"In other words, he said he thinks you're hot, and you panicked and hit him," Quatre translated, and received a bare nod. "What do you think of him?" Heero glared at the blonde, and after unlatching the door walked straight out onto deck and his normal area, only to spy an oncoming landmass on the horizon.  
  
"That would be Death's Island," Trowa's voice said behind him a tad bit hesitantly. "Don't let the name fool you. It's actually lovely." Heero just kept staring out to sea and Trowa, seeing a great time to go visit the beautiful blonde, left and trotted down to his own room.  
  
"Trowa! Just the person I wanted to see," Quatre said pleasantly. "How's Duo, by the way?"  
  
"He's fine. His pride's a little wounded, but he's up at the wheel right...uh oh," Trowa said. He had no idea what the younger boy would do in Heero's presence, especially so close to the island. A wounded, bitter Duo was also unpredictable, and that was never a good thing.  
  
"Trowa? Before you go running off to save them from each other, can I ask you a question or two," Quatre said, blushing softly. It reminded him of a rose in winter.  
  
"I only have time for one, I'm sorry," Trowa said, silently cursing the other two for being so damn stubborn. "But, feel free to ask."  
  
"What will happen to Heero and I when we reach the island? Are we going to be thrown in jail, or...what..." Quatre asked, his timid nature resurfacing at the end. Trowa smiled just a bit, loving his gentleness and...just loving him for being Quatre. He sat next to the blonde.  
  
"Don't worry, Little One," he said, and gave him a gentle hug. "It'll just be me following you." Quatre leaned in to the hug, wrapping his arms around Trowa and leaning his head against the taller boy's chest. He was so light, and soft...Trowa would have much preferred to just sit and hold Quatre than save Duo from another fight, but duty called. "I'll be back as soon as they aren't killing each other." Quatre nodded, still holding him, and the movement against his chest was close to intoxicating.  
  
After gently releasing himself from the angel, Trowa walked up on deck, only to stop in the doorframe.  
  
"...I mean, I didn't want to...eh...aw, damn it, you could just LOOK at me, you bastard," Duo said, grumbling at the end. Trowa looked over to see Peter at the wheel, casting wary glances over at the two. In fact, the entire crew was. Duo sighed. "I didn't mean to...say anything. Sorry." Trowa almost choked. Duo Maxwell was apologizing? Duo never apologized. "Not that I'm your friend or anything! I'm still gonna kill you, you know!"  
  
Trowa sighed. Yes, that was still Duo.  
  
"I did not mean to hit you," Heero said calmly, still watching the approaching island with interest. "You...surprised me, is all." Duo nodded, and then began to blush a little.  
  
"Uh, this is gonna sound weird, and I'm not hitting on you or anything, okay," Duo asked, and Heero looked at him warily. "I'm just wondering if...uhh...IcouldlookatyourbackrealfastIswearI'mnothittingonyou." Heero blinked at the onslaught's origin as Trowa shook his head. Oh yes, that was the Maxwell charm all right.  
  
"No," Heero said flatly, and turned back towards the horizon, and the rapidly approaching Devil's Island.  
  
"Oookaay...well, I asked politely," Duo said with a shrug. "Just know you'll be spending your trip on the island with me the whole time." Heero's gaze rested coolly on the violet-eyed boy, who grinned at him. "You're still a prisoner, remember?"  
  
"Hn," Heero said, and continued to ignore the braided idiot, who was now prattling along about something or other. Just for curiosity's sake, he listened for three seconds.  
  
"-but then Catherine came here, so Trowa ended up having to quit his job as a lion-" Most likely it would be interesting, but he was just too busy trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with himself.  
  
And what was wrong with the braided boy before him.  
  
There was something just confusing about him. First, there was the way Heero couldn't help but like him. Duo was one person he had every right to absolutely loathe, yet here he was, half-listening to the blabbering of the world's most feared pirate, and his captor. And then, there was that thing that had knocked him unconscious. It had been no knife blow, that was certain. But, that left only impossibilities for answers.  
  
Heero shook his head minutely.  
  
"You don't think so? Alright, then, Mr. I-won't-take-my-shirt- off-for-you, you tell ME how to correctly tie halyards," Duo said, smirking at the blank look on Heero's face. "I thought so. As I was saying..." Heero zoned out again.  
  
He can't be human, Heero finally decided. He's impossibly silent when he wants to be, rattles my brain like no mortal could possibly do, and just looks too damn sexy for any normal seventeen-year-old. He frowned a bit. If Duo wasn't human, what was he? Heero, being the tactless wonder he is, decided to do something very stupid.  
  
"How did you knock me unconscious," he stated, mid-ramble. For a moment, Duo's big, impossibly beautiful violet eyes blinked. "We both know it wasn't the knife." Duo just looked at him for a moment, hesitation obvious.  
  
"We're almost to the island. You'll be staying with me, as I already told you," Duo said calmly.  
  
"And why not Trowa," Heero asked. "Or Wufei, for that matter?" Duo began to walk away.  
  
"Because they already know I can take you," he said over his shoulder. "By the time my leg's better, at least." Duo relieved Peter from the helm, and blocked the messy-haired boy from his mind.  
  
Trowa, seeing they obviously weren't going to kill each other, returned to his room. Quatre sat staring out the small window at the broken waves.  
  
"I know you're worried," the blonde said, smiling. "You don't have to be worried. We can all take care of ourselves." Trowa nodded.  
  
"I know you can," he said simply, feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden. Quatre's bright, shining blue eyes looked up at him.  
  
"I can feel all that, too," Quatre said, motioning to include the deck. "Heero's confused, Duo's close to panicking like whenever they're near each other." Quatre frowned. "Wufei...I have no idea what I'm picking up. It's like...fire?" Trowa blushed a bit. He knew what newlyweds were like on vacation. The blonde shrugged.  
  
"You can feel other people's emotions," Trowa asked, and Quatre nodded, blushing again. "And you trust me with this." His cheeks reddened even more. "Why?"  
  
"Because I can...read you too," he said a bit quietly, and the words 'Oh shit' kept repeating themselves in Trowa's mind. "No, you don't have to be worried! You already worry too much." Quatre was so close to him. Against Trowa's better judgment, he picked up the nearest wooden object (a simple wood shaving), and with a twist of his mind, there were three of them in his hand.  
  
"I have the symbol gamma tattooed on my back," Trowa said quietly. "The New Three." He let the shavings drop. "Any simple organic, I can copy it, and form two others. No more, no less." To demonstrate, he pulled a string from the nearby blanket, and with another twist of his mind, there were three of them.  
  
"Why don't you use it more often," Quatre said, but his answer was received when Trowa had to sit down, close to exhaustion.  
  
"I was in the circus once," Trowa said. "I was a clown who did magic tricks. Made two more instantly appear, you know? I found out it doesn't work on money or metal the hard way." Quatre wrapped his arms around Trowa's neck, and smiled into his emerald eyes. Trowa pulled the smaller boy against him.  
  
"I won't ever let anyone hurt you," he said calmly, and pressed his lips against Trowa's gently, eyes shut. "And, I have to say, you have the warmest, most beautiful emotions around me." Trowa blushed.  
  
"I was actually going to talk to you about that," he said timidly, but Quatre just smiled at him. Trowa kissed him easily, feeling Quatre's lips twist into another smile.  
  
"You don't need to," Quatre whispered, placing a kiss on Trowa's cheek. "I already know." His face lit on fire. "And, I-I love you too..."  
  
Meanwhile, Duo Maxwell blatantly stared at Heero's back. God, the kid was by far the hottest thing he'd ever seen, and all he could do was stare and pray his leg got better before they got into another fight. It wouldn't be fair until he was healed, after all. Duo frowned. As soon as they got onto his island, that boy's shirt would be OFF!  
  
Duo didn't notice as the crew began to back away from their captain, who was doing his evil Shinigami grin and staring at the prisoner like a target. They all knew from experience, that was never a good thing.  
  
--------  
  
A/N: Yes, I know, still short, and not nearly enough kissing. And I mean, come on, it's timid little Trowa we're talking about. But you got a part of the tattoo secret! Not all of it, certainly, but a bit... And trust me, the island (which I was originally going to name something rather inappropriate) is going to be full of all sorts of goodness. And then, we move on to the Uber-Plot (dum dum dum! ). Scary.  
  
Well, thanks for reading! Special thanks to:  
  
aspara! Mlaine! Regina! j!  
  
for reviewing! (And j, maybe so much bouncing would hurt?)  
  
Don't worry, we get into all the 1x2x1 fun VEERY soon...rating will definitely change.  
  
THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW! It makes me happy... 


	5. The Lighter

A/N: Hiya! And welcome to Chapter 5, or as I affectionately call it, the Not-Dumpster Chapter. (I'm very proud of myself for that, too.) If you don't get it, that's just fine. Kind of a last-story joke. And onto the story!!!! Special thanks to Regina and Trenchcoat Man for the last names.  
  
Warnings: Profanity, 1x2x1 & 3x4. Slight OOC, extreme AU, crazy pirate island of Doom, and strange sea speakage. Yaoi!!! HOORAY!  
  
Disclaimer: I own the story, but the boys (and girls) belong to someone who isn't me, so I don't own them because I'm not them so yeah.   
  
Sea of Silence  
  
Chapter 5  
  
The Lighter  
  
"Welcome to Hell," Duo said cheerily, and Heero just glared at the black-clad captain. Death's Island was actually a lovely green isle about three miles long with a dormant and small tree-clad volcano near the opposite edge. The town, affectionately named Hell, existed solely for the purpose of Shinigami's pirate enterprise, and the well being of their loot and the crew's families. Also, according to Trowa, there were lovely, clean, safe hot springs dotting the island as well.   
  
Heero's thoughts were cut off when Duo nudged him gently down the gangplank and onto the rather large wooden dock, and followed him down. Trowa and Quatre (holding hands, he noticed) followed afterwards, smiling at each other as Trowa pointed out areas of interest.   
  
"Trowa, I'm taking it you're guarding Quat," Duo said, and they both nodded. "I've got Heero, so who has Wufei?" There was a crash from onboard the Nataku, and Duo shrugged as a yell erupted. "Oh well. He used to live here, he'll be fine." Trowa nodded, and the pairs walked across the dock.   
  
"So, I guess the other three are still out," Duo murmured, and Heero turned towards him.  
  
"Other three what," he asked.   
  
"The other three Shinigami ships. I run an enterprise, after all. I mean, one ship doesn't need a private city on a private island," Duo said, as if it were common knowledge he owned four ships.   
  
Heero, however, could tell the pirate had become immediately apprehensive as soon as his feet touched the dock. And, as he looked behind him, Trowa was on guard as well. His eyes darkened. The pirates knew something he didn't.   
  
"Trowa," a woman's voice yelled out, and both relaxed for a brief moment, only to tense again. Heero noticed a brown-haired woman, probably in her early twenties, running down the dock. The woman came forward, and gave the first mate a hug. "I was so worried!"   
  
"Aww, come on, Cathy! You really don't trust me," Duo pouted, and Catherine finally realized Trowa was holding someone else's hand. "Catherine Bloom, meet Quatre Winner, our current captive."   
  
"Quatre, my sister," Trowa said as Catherine dropped off him to give an appraising look at the smaller blonde boy. Quatre smiled at her.  
  
"Hello! I'm pleased to meet you," he said, and shook her hand. "Trowa said you were nice. I'm glad to meet a member of his family." She smiled back at the younger boy.  
  
"I'm glad Trowa met someone out of the business," she said.  
  
"How's the troupe," Trowa asked quietly, and Catherine shrugged.  
  
"How it always is," she replied. "Don't worry, they played nice. No deaths this time." Duo sighed in relief, while Quatre gaped.  
  
"THIS time?" Trowa nodded, still holding the blonde's hand.  
  
"Pirates and acrobats sometimes don't mix," he stated, and Quatre just shook his head. His emerald eyes snapped up to Duo's. "We're going to go home. Have fun." The three walked away, leaving Duo and Heero standing aside as the Deathscythe's crew disembarked. They waved enthusiastically to someone on shore, or ran up to them and swept their loved ones up in a great embrace.   
  
Duo, he noted, did none of these things.  
  
"Well, I better show ya around," Duo said, his eternal smile shining as he led Heero down the dock. He carried a simple black bag. "Like I said, welcome to Hell."   
  
-------  
  
"And you're sure it's them," her voice asked, doubt shining through. The man smiled slightly. "I trust you, it's just...we've been looking so long."   
  
"Don't worry, my dear. They'll be picking them up in less than a day, and then it's only a matter of time until they're back here," he said, voice eerily smooth. She frowned. "I guarantee their safety, if it helps your mind be at ease." Still, her lips remained in a thin line.  
  
"I just don't like the fact we have to go through lines to get them off that dreaded island," she said. "And I can't just forget we've been looking for them almost fifteen years now." He nodded.   
  
"As unbelievable as it may seem, I trust Zechs and Noin with my life," he said, short ginger hair swaying a bit in the breeze. The porch was a bit too rosy for her taste, but politeness decreed she remain sitting during the business portion of their relationship. "The boys will be here within the week, and this whole mess will be over." She shook her head.  
  
"Ever the optimist, Treize," she shrugged, long blonde hair swinging in the wind, and his half-smile returned.   
  
"No, my dear, ever the idealist."   
  
-------  
  
Duo led him through the wooden city almost blindly, neglecting to explain the sights to his captive. For ten minutes, they walked in a straight line, Heero following the braided boy blindly through Hell. At eleven minutes, Duo turned left. For twelve minutes, they walked on that path. The buildings spread out, and Heero noticed there were actually farms on the island, and occasional ranches. But, everything was camouflaged to match what any faraway sailor would expect on an uninhabited island.   
  
Heero realized, these people lived in fear. A minor fear, obviously, or everyone wouldn't be as happy and smiling, or wearing the well-made yet plain clothes of the lower yet rising classes in the world.   
  
Then again, he realized they could all be smiling because Duo Maxwell practically owned their souls, not to mention their land. How had a seventeen-year-old pirate amassed enough money for his own private island, four ships, and an entire population? Piracy paid well, but nobody could have made that much in seventeen years. Quatre could most likely buy the same three times over, but he was the heir to a ten-generation fortune, and most likely a prince.   
  
"Watch out," Duo yelled, but it was too late. Heero ran straight into the big black pole he hadn't even seen, and fell to the floor with a grunt. His blue eyes snapped straight to the braided boy, only to find him literally rolling on the ground laughing, tears glinting in his closed violet eyes. "You-! Your head!" was all he managed, until he was laughing again, this time so hard no sound came out until he sucked some air in, and kept on laughing as if his life depended on it.   
  
Heero, meanwhile, realized the pole had left a welt on his forehead tinted black from the paint, along with the tip of his nose. He'd probably have a broken nose if he'd been looking anywhere but down. But then again, if he hadn't been looking down, he'd have seen the pole and avoided the whole experience.   
  
"Are you done," Heero finally snapped, and a gasping Duo finally nodded, still laughing to himself as they continued along the deserted dirt path, until they were at the base of the dormant volcano in a wooded area. A house stood in a clearing, with- to Heero's amazement- a happily steaming hot spring right next to the building.   
  
"Welcome to my humble home! I have an...a spare bedroom for you, and we have remarkable running water, and hot water from Mr. Steamy, the friendly 100 degree pool," Duo said cheerily, opening the wooden door of the two-story establishment. "To your left, you'll see the kitchen and a bathroom. To the right, the living room. Upstairs, we have my room, Hild-um, another room, and your current lodgings, along with yet another bathroom." Heero caught all the switches, just like anyone else would. "Hild" had clearly once lived with Duo.   
  
The braided pirate practically shoved Heero through a door (which, he noticed, had a lock) that contained a bed, a desk, a mirror, and a dresser. 'For a rich kid, he sure doesn't use it,' Heero thought.   
  
"Don't go into the room next to mine," Duo said with a small blush. "It's just...It's kind of a shrine, so I'd...uh...I'll kill you if you go in." With that, the brunette stormed out and walked into his own room to shut the door. Heero shook his head, tossing his small bundle of items onto the bed.   
  
He'd never understand that boy.  
  
Duo, at the time, was thinking the same exact thing.  
  
Why did he get so riled up about the thought of Heero in Hilde's room? Trowa had gone in, Wufei had gone in, Catherine had gone in...It really was a shrine, now, to his sister. She'd disappeared a year ago, now. Maybe that was why. It would be a year in two days.   
  
But, that was no reason to yell at Heero again. Especially when his leg was still busted and he'd get flattened until it was. Being around that good-looking of a guy just did something to his brain. Or maybe it was just Heero who did it. It had been so long since he'd even let someone he didn't know extremely well to come to his house, let alone know where it was.   
  
Duo was practically a hermit, living with Mr. Steamy and memories of Hilde. And the cat, of course, but he was a free spirit, and Duo hadn't seen it since Hilde had left. She'd been the one to feed it, after all. He just cuddled with it. And the house had been Hilde's, anyway. Duo used to just live with Trowa, but when Catherine and the troupe came around, Hilde had suggested they actually have a house. And thus, Duo built her a house with the help of all the neighbors. It helped he happened to be a genius when it came to plumbing.   
  
Duo sighed. He was rambling, and the fact it was in his head made it even worse. He was stalling. Damn, he'd have to apologize to Heero. And Duo hated apologizing.   
  
Heero was still standing in his room, looking around uncomfortably, when Duo came back out after a few minutes of contemplation. The violet-eyed boy cleared his throat.  
  
"I'm not gonna kill you," he said clearly, with a tad bit of a sigh. "I just...she was my sister." Heero's bright blue eyes looked understanding. "She disappeared, and is probably dead, but I kept her room just the same." God, the bastard rattled his brain. "Do you...you wanna see it?" For a period, Heero just looked at him, until he walked forward very calmly.   
  
"No, thank you," he said, and all of a sudden, was pulling off his shirt.   
  
"Wha...ah! Heero! What are you doing," Duo yelled, stumbling backwards as the fabric was lifted, and stopped when he received a bona fide death glare. "Eheheh..." He shut his eyes and slammed his hands in front of them, not daring to look at a half-naked Heero, no matter how bad he wanted to.  
  
"You asked to see my back," he said coolly. "You shared something, so I'm sharing something." Duo relaxed, and let his hands fall. His eyes opened, and his eyes immediately caught the tattoo. An omega, which looked like an upside-down U with feet, graced his left shoulder blade. He shut his eyes again, not daring to look beyond that, even though he'd glanced at the multiple scars that ran along his flesh.   
  
"Thanks," he whispered. His mind was racing. Omega. The last letter, the letter of Ending. But, he couldn't remember more than that.   
  
Which was because Heero Yuy was standing shirtless in front of him, all because he'd asked. Aww, shit. He was going to pass out if he took off anything else. Why'd he have to be so damn fine?   
  
There was a rustle of fabric. "Would you do something for me," Heero's voice asked, and Duo opened his eyes, cheery once more now there was no fear of seeing an undressed Heero.   
  
"Sure, Heero," Duo said, smiling.   
  
"I want to see your back, now, if you don't mind," he said, a hidden smirk on his face.   
  
Duo was breathless. Had...had Heero just hit on him? His heart was racing. His violet eyes froze. Oh, god. Visions of Heero shirtless, and them him shirtless, and naked...  
  
"Aww, shit," Duo yelled, and fell to the floor, feeling like a scalding little puddle of lust that used to be named something Maxwell.   
  
"Duo? You okay," Heero asked, and noticed the braided boy lying on the floor, looking dazed. What the hell? The boy just fell down at random times, apparently. But...deciding the pirate was a friend (if nothing more, he added grudgingly), he scooped up the pirate, only for him to yell again.  
  
"Goddamit, that's worse," he yelled again, pressed close to Heero's chest as he was carried bridal-style into his own bedroom, which Heero eyed with interest. Everything was black. "Oh, dear god. Kill me now." Heero looked down at him inquisitively. "You have no idea how fucking lickable you are right now, do you?"   
  
They both froze.   
  
"Ummm. Ah...eh," Duo began, trying to save the brand new, fragile friendship they had. But, right now, there was no way in hell he could salvage this. "Sorry?" Heero was still frozen in place, and Duo sighed. "Go ahead and pummel me, then. I sure as hell des-" Heero cut him off by swiftly kissing his brains to mush.   
  
"Lickable," Heero asked, smirking, and threw him on the bed. "We'll see." With that, he stepped aside, examining the room as dazed Duo's head spun. Ohhh, he kissed gooood. He had no idea what way was up, or down, or where the hell he was. All he knew was Heero had kissed him and was standing in the same room looking at him, while Duo himself was on the bed.   
  
He'd always been good at math.   
  
Duo launched off the bed, tackling the other boy and ignoring the pain in his leg. Heero himself looked a bit dazed, but Duo was too busy kissing his neck to notice. Oh, god. He tasted like cherries and chocolate. Chocolate-covered cherries. Duo's brain had left the building.   
  
Their lips met again, and this time much, much happy tongue dancing ensued. Were they lying down? Sitting? Standing? Hell, Duo had no idea whether he was even clothed anymore. All that remained was the sexiest chocolate-covered cherry he'd ever eaten above- or was it below?- him.   
  
-----  
  
A/N: A horrific place to stop, huh? But, hey, I need to separate it right here. Don't worry, chapter 6 will be here really, really fast. And why? I'll tell you why. It's just too damn fun to have 1x2x1 to write!!! HOORAY!!!   
  
And, I'd also like to take this area to thank the wonderful creator of my insanity, Chocolate. I love it so...  
  
TWENTY REVIEWS!!! WOOHOO! And the spectacular seven people who reviewed are, chronologically,   
  
Mlaine!  
  
TKM!  
  
Regina!  
  
j!  
  
Rekkaboziegirl!  
  
TrenchcoatMan!  
  
cheshiresmile!  
  
You guys all get gold stars for being so cool! Thanks for reading! Please, please review!  
  
(And, if you're wondering why this took a bit longer, blame my stupid homework. I will murder Nathaniel Hawthorne!) 


	6. The Darker

A/N: And the much-anticipated chapter 6! Oh, this'll be soo good! Yay! And, I guess the last chapter was a tad bit citrusy, but not extremely. So, in other words, when I put a warning in, it's...graphic. Be prepared!

Warnings: Profanity, 1x2x1 & 3x4. Slight OOC, extreme AU, violence, and the normal ship talk. Yaoi! This one's a little bit citrusy, too. YAY!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

Sea of Silence

Chapter 6

The Darker

"Are you okay," Catherine asked. Trowa was everywhere over the blonde boy, checking for a fever, a concussion, and practically anything else that could have made the scarlet Quatre fall flat out of his chair in the middle of dinner. He'd been blushing for a while, but falling out of your chair from embarrassment was unheard of. Quatre shook his head.

"Trowa, I need to talk to you privately," he whispered, and Catherine immediately left the room.

"What's going on," Trowa asked, brushing a kiss on his warm forehead. "You alright?" Quatre nodded.

"Well, you remember my power?" Trowa nodded. "Well, Duo and Heero are either killing each other, or..." he trailed off, and even Trowa blushed a bit.

"I'm betting killing each other," Trowa sighed, and helped the other boy to his feet. "Guess we should go pull them apart." Thus, they began the 45-minute walk to Duo's house, Quatre gradually relaxed.

"Well, whatever it was is over," Quatre finally said. Trowa nodded, and Quatre yelled when the taller boy pulled him into an embrace, his face buried in Quatre's blonde hair.

"You scared me," his muffled voice said, and Quatre could feel the warmth of Trowa's love surrounding him. "Please don't scare me like that." Quatre tilted his head up and gave him a gentle, reassuring kiss.

"I'm sorry," he said, and Trowa nodded. Quatre smiled. "Well, we better go pick up whatever's left of those two." They separated, but Quatre scooped up Trowa's hand in his own.

Duo heard them coming as soon as they got in a half-mile radius, mostly because he'd put a bell downstairs that rang whenever someone passed the half-mile border around his house. It woke him up, and the first thing he realized was he was naked. The second was that he was sleeping right on top of a naked Heero. The third was that somehow they'd ended up in the hall. After that, he stopped counting.

It was night now, and whoever was coming would most likely be spending the night. Crap. Duo didn't want to move; Heero just felt soo niice. He didn't even realize he'd purred until Heero's eyes fluttered open. Right, a bell doesn't wake him up but purring does?

When Heero started to move, Duo whimpered in protest without even realizing it. "Come back here," he muttered, and once more they were kissing, Duo heavily involved with sucking Heero's lower lip to death. Then, he remembered someone was coming, and immediately broke it off, ran outside, and hopped into Mr. Steamy with a yelp. As soon as he was in, he was back out, running into the bathroom to dry off after rebandaging his leg in record time.

Heero knocked on the bathroom door.

"Go jump in the spring, and get dressed," Duo yelled out. "Someone's coming!" He could hear some angry grumbling, and then a splash. Duo finished drying and ran up to his room to change. Only then did he notice the hazard zone it had become.

The sheets were everywhere, clothes were thrown aside at random places, and Duo's hair tie had been thrown out the window and into a nearby tree. When Heero appeared in the doorway, he was fully dressed and clean, just like Duo was, although his hair was everywhere. As Duo continued to clean, Heero followed him around, doing his best to rebraid it, which didn't work very well.

"You clean, I'll braid," Duo finally yelled when the bell rang again. They were so close. Heero immediately went to tidying up the room, grabbing his pants off the rafters as Duo sat on his bed and braided frantically. A voice carried on the air.

"...doesn't really take that much work. All you have to do is feed the lions, and let them know you're not afraid," Trowa's voice said calmly. Heero, grabbing his final piece of clothing, ran into his room.

The bell rang again, this time as a doorbell, and Duo ran down to open the door.

"Hiya, Tro! Quat! Whatcha doin' here," Duo asked, trying to act innocent. Trowa frowned. Damn, that kid knew him too well. Heero came downstairs, and Duo realized the kid looked very, very disheveled. Quatre sighed.

"Don't fight anymore," the blonde said, shaking his head. Duo gave him a strange look. "And don't you try to deny it, either! I half expected to see severed arms or something, from what I was sensing all the way down at Catherine's." Duo blushed.

"Quatre can sense people's emotions," Trowa explained calmly, and Heero looked at the couple. They were holding hands tightly. Oh, yes. Definitely couple.

"I assume you told him, then," Heero asked, and Quatre nodded. "So, you know what my power is too, then." The blonde shook his head, but Heero was staring at Duo, who was staring straight back.

"I sure want to know what your power is, Mr. Omega," Duo grumbled, even though a smile tugged at his lips. They'd both seen lots of each other's tattoos recently.

Soon, the four found themselves at Duo's table, which was a simple wood affair with six chairs. Quatre cleared his throat.

"First of all, I'd like to say I had no idea both Duo and Wufei had tattoos as well," Quatre said, and Heero noted he was in politician mode. "My power is on the table, Trowa's is...well, triplication, I guess. Heero should speak for himself. What are yours and Wufei's?"

"Phi," Heero said calmly. "The letter of wind, and death." He hesitated. "Painful death, to be precise." Duo grinned.

"Well, aren't you a smart little Heero," he said, violet eyes glinting in a way that made Heero's pulse quicken. The other two groaned, thinking another fight was coming. "My power's simple. Basically, I can send out pain if I distort the wind flow a little. If I do it enough, I could kill someone by sweeping my hands." He gave them a Shinigami grin. "It's a good thing I can't do that without lots of concentration, or Heero would be dead.

"Wufei's pi. The sign of war. He's impenetrable, as weird as that sounds. Must get Meiran pretty mad to not be able to sink her nails into him!" Duo took a moment to laugh at his own joke. "Alright, your turn!" All eyes turned to Heero, who was looking straight at Duo, violet eyes twinkling.

"I'm the end," he stated. When they looked at him expectantly, he looked down at the table. "I..." Heero looked straight at Quatre. "I can stop time." Duo's jaw dropped.

"COOL," he yelled, but then noticed Quatre was looking down as well. "What did I miss?"

"I can only do it at a price," Heero said calmly. "And it lasts five minutes exactly." Duo's mind went back to the long, deep gashes on his back.

Their silence was broken by the loud clanging of a faraway bell. Duo immediately stood, Trowa not far behind. The braided boy ran up to his own room, and came back down carrying two swords. He threw one to Trowa and the other to Heero. After yet another trip upstairs, he came down with a pair of short, curved swords he gave to Quatre.

"Heero, you guard him with your life," Trowa yelled, and the two ran out the door. Quatre and Heero looked at each other, and ran out to where the others had gone. Duo's braid was flapping about as he ran down the path, ignoring the re-wrapped leg, Trowa keeping pace.

"Damn it, you stupid leg," Duo began to yell, but was cut off when Heero picked him up. Again. He couldn't help but blush, no matter how pissed he was. It was night, but he could easily pick out the slowly spreading stream of smoke from Hell. "Why didn't we have any warning? We should have seen any ships, easily." Trowa shrugged.

"Less talk, more run," he said, and grabbed Quatre's hand as he tore down the slope.

"What's happening," Heero asked, and Duo glared at the enemy- oh, shit. The enemy fleet. There were four ships. The computations ran through his head...and he turned very pale. There were at least a hundred and fifty sailors invading Hell.

"The navy's caught onto us, apparently," Duo said. "I just hope Wufei's been able to hold them off the ships."

As soon as they reached the town's border, Duo jumped out of Heero's arms. "Get to Trowa and Quatre; I have to get to my ship," he yelled, but Heero grabbed his hand.

"You don't even have a weapon," he said, and Duo grinned as a knife appeared in his hand, and then returned to its hidden sheath.

"Don't sweat it," he said, and gave the blue-eyed boy a kiss on the cheek. "See you soon, Hee-babe!" With that, Duo ran off into the slowly burning town.

The first thing he noticed was the screaming. Women's voices echoed across the island as flames licked the black sky. The second thing he noticed was the knife thrown at his throat, and Duo's reflexes kicked in. He grabbed the metal by the edge, flipped his wrist, and let it fly, noting it's bloody impact into a shocked-looking sailor's forehead. The man dropped to the dirt, blood trickling down his face.

He barely broke his run as a uniformed sailor- he noted the outfit was white and blue, the telltale colors of Algon- launched at him, sword ready to impale Duo's chest. A deft reversal and the man ended up running into the ground. Duo pulled one of his curved daggers from his boot, and quickly sliced the sailor's throat. As an afterthought, he grabbed the sword, and continued.

The rest of the run was uneventful, save the occasional dodging of a burning person screaming for dear life, or the average gory slicing and decapitations he executed on almost a weekly basis.

"Wuffles," Duo yelled out as soon as he reached the dock. His hair was already hardening with blood, and his black clothes were slowly staining to the brown-red of dried blood. "Wufei! You okay?" There was no response, so he made his way onto deck.

"Maxwell," Wufei's voice yelled out, and Duo's violet eyes snapped to where the other boy sat onboard his ship. His white clothes were ripped apart, red from blood, and his sword lay neglected and crimson at his feet. He looked lost. "Duo, they took Meiran. I don't know where. I told her to stay, but..." he looked down. "She's always been as stubborn as a mountain."

"We need to go get her back, then," Duo said with a nod. "Come on, Wu! Just sitting there looking sad won't help her." Wufei grabbed his sword and stopped next to the braid-headed boy.

"Where are Trowa and the kids," he asked, finally realizing they were missing. Duo shrugged.

"Hell if I know. Hopefully they're just sitting around chopping people's legs off or something," Duo said cheerily, making Wufei smirk. "Is your ship good to go?" He shook his head. "Damn."

"Duo, come now," Heero said, and Duo jumped two feet into the air.

"Holy shit! Don't do that to me," he yelled, and then noticed Heero was slumping forward in pain. "Where are we coming?"

"Enemy has Trowa and Quatre. Have to get them out of the ship," Heero said faintly. It was obvious he was trying not to faint. "I stopped time to get to you. Ran...all the way. We have to go."

"Meiran's probably there, too," Duo suggested, and after making a quick stop in his cabin, the three found themselves in front of a rowboat which held a uniformed man with long platinum blonde hair wearing a mask, along with a few soldiers. The ship floated in the distance.

"Hiya," Duo said with a grin. "We need to get over to your ship, or we'll kill you." The masked man's lips twisted into a faint smile.

"You'll be coming across with me, and staying there. Either that, or Mrs. Chang gets killed by my second-in-command, Noin," he said smoothly. Wufei glared at him. "And she'll only be the first to die, if you choose to resist." The man's half-smile turned into a smirk. "Besides, I wouldn't mind dying. It'd just be inconvenient at the time."

"I'll take you up on that," Wufei growled, and the three climbed into the boat.

------

A/N: Sorry this one's at a bad stopping place too, but my monitor broke, so I have lots of backup data to take care of and the like. The chapters'll be coming a tad bit slower, too, due to said occurrence. And, for all you people who care, Hilde is NOT dead, although she'll be hugely OOC. But, it'll make sense when you meet her in a couple of chapters. Hmm...anything else to say? OH YEAH! Every fifty reviews I get, I'll be putting up a 'special'. Spiffy, huh? Trust me, it'll be worth it. =D

Speaking of spiffy, I got TEN REVIEWS on a chapter! (does happy dance) You guys rock! (Chronologically...):

Sapphire's Angel!

TKM!

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You guys are awesome! Thanks for reading! Please, please, please review!

(Since I've already murdered Hawthorne, Walt Whitman's now on my hit list. Leaves of Grass...suuure. Grass.)


	7. The Prince

A/N: Chapter 7! Finally! We now enter the Uber-Plot! Muwahahahah! Just a few minutes have passed since 6 and this here chapter, by the way. No worries.

Warnings: Profanity, 1x2x1, 3x4, little OOC, extreme AU...yadda yadda yadda. Violence, yaoi, you get it. I've already said it 6 times.

Disclaimer: They aren't mine. Plot is though! (Happy dance)

Sea of Silence

Chapter 7

The Prince

The sounds of fighting had died down as soon as they'd boarded the navy flagship, and now that they sat in the officer's galley, the only sounds left were the sloshing of the waves and the occasional yell from onshore. Duo prayed his ship would be okay. And Meiran, of course.

Meiran actually looked more pissed-off than anything, sitting tied to a stool in the corner and gagged. The shorthaired woman seated behind her held a knife loosely in her hand. Zechs had called her Noin. Noin was wearing a uniform similar to Merquise's, but without all the frills. Duo frowned. He really didn't like that mask.

Wufei was glaring at Noin, Meiran was glaring at Wufei, Trowa was glaring at Zechs, Heero was close to fainting from the huge gushing gash on his back, Duo was busy looking threatening and being worried about his sex bunny, and Quatre was smiling at the far wall like a good diplomat. Noin was looking for all the world like a soldier at attention as she slumped in her chair, and Zechs was looking as preoccupied as a guy in a mask can. All in all, the room was crowded.

"I assume you're all wondering why you're sitting here and not in the brig," Zechs said. Duo heard Trowa mutter, "That's the ship's prison" to Quatre, who still didn't know anything about ships. "The answer is, you're the reason my fleet's out here. We were sent to collect the five boys, aged around seventeen or eighteen or so, with tattoos on their backs. Algon needs you." Quatre's smile wilted.

"Why would Algon need us," he asked as cordially as possible, and Zechs smirked.

"Because one of you is the crown prince." Heero passed out so quietly only Duo, who sat next to him, noticed. (In reality, he'd been out for a while, but took this moment for his neck to relax a bit.) Wufei actually started laughing insanely, Trowa was frowning, and Quatre was Mr. Poker Face. Duo just shrugged.

"Which one," he grumbled. Duo didn't want to rule a country. Or even go to one. He was a pirate, and proud of it.

"And why would you attack the island to get us," Trowa demanded, and Duo could tell he was furious. Heero's head slumped onto the braided boy's shoulder. "You could have killed someone. You DID kill someone." Only Catherine being hit would make him this angry. But, only sliced. If Catherine Bloom were dead, triplicated tables would be flying around.

"It was the only safe way to get you five away from Shinigami's forces. We did what was necessary," Noin joined in. Duo frowned a bit. They obviously didn't know who they'd picked up.

Always know your enemy.

"And we appreciate that, really, but most of those people weren't pirates," Quatre said.

"So, why are we here now? So you guys can poof our hair and put us in dresses," Duo asked, smile back on. "Or, is it robes? I forget what princes wear. Which one of us is the prince, anyway?"

"Only the Steward knows that, and he's back in Algon," Zechs said. "Treize Khushrenada is a wise man, and has been taking care of the country during the prince's fourteen-year absence since his eleventh birthday." Duo whistled.

"That's pretty young, you know," he said, and both Zechs and Noin looked a bit ruffled. "I mean, if I was a king at eleven, I'd have made every Tuesday be Duo Day, and taxes be paid in pie." Trowa nodded seriously.

"Then let's hope you're not the prince," Wufei said, and Trowa nodded seriously again, along with Quatre. Heero, of course, was still unconscious. "Can I have my wife back now?" Meiran's glare turned to fire, and muffled yelling could be heard through the gag. "Damn it, woman! Get used to it!" Zechs and Noin looked uncomfortably at the scene.

"You should see it when Meiran's not tied to a chair," Duo said cheerily.

"What happens now," Quatre interjected.

"We will be taking you five...or, six, I guess, to Algon. We'll be there in two days, tops," Zechs said. Duo confirmed it in his head; at this time of year, the winds would be perfect. His ship could probably have gotten there in one. "In fact, we'll be leaving now. Noin?" Zechs left the room, leaving the woman to watch over the five, and the hostage.

"Hey, Noinikins, can I get some bandages for him," Duo asked in his most endearing voice, pointing to the head on his shoulder. At the same time, the violet-eyed boy slumped Heero onto the table and pulled up the back of his bloody shirt.

"I'll escort the two of you to the medic," Noin said, and Duo scooped Heero up with a bit of effort. Hee-babe was heavy. "And Wufei, please refrain from freeing your wife. For all our sakes." Meiran's glare turned to Noin, and then right back to her husband.

-------

Her legs swung in the air to curl around each other, flipping around as the Lady entered. She didn't even bother to feel embarrassed about being clad in her underwear alone, stomach flat on the bed as she read her book. Scars dotted her skin.

"I have a job for you," Lady Une said, her cool voice barely dampening the other girl's mood.

"Why else would you be here," she asked, and her left leg went so far as to allow her foot to touch her arched back, and the dark gray hair that sprinkled it. "Who do you want me to take out?" Une threw a packet of papers onto the small bed.

"There will be a coronation next week," she said very clearly. "Target's the one getting the big shiny thing put on his head." The girl giggled a bit.

"Just a slash and dash? I was hoping for a bit more fun," she said, and turned the page. The girl's voice changed, to a smooth, darker tone. "Only for your client's repeated patronage do I do these, Une." Lady Une nodded, and noticed for the first time the dark blue toenail polish.

"See you next time," Une said, and walked out the door, leaving a smirking, scarred girl on the other side of the wall.

-------

"So, how long have you two been married," Quatre asked cheerily at the glaring spouses. He'd managed to end up in Trowa's lap somehow, and the older boy sure wasn't about to complain.

"About three months now," Wufei muttered. Meiran nodded shortly, and went back to glaring.

"How'd you two meet," Quatre asked, and Trowa quickly kissed him to make the shorter boy shut up.

"There are some things you don't want to know," Trowa said in his loving whisper, and Quatre nodded.

"I met her a year ago, when Duo and I were still partners. Trowa wasn't in the picture yet; he'd been off looking for his sister. I decided to take my ship off by myself, and we captured Meiran," Wufei said. "She's the only person who's ever actually...hurt me." Quatre looked confused, and Wufei was blushing deeply.

"She stuck a dagger up his-" Trowa began to clarify, but he cut him off.

"ANYWAY, I was livid and threw her overboard as soon as I was better. But, then the ship mutinied and I got thrown over too, so we swam to a nearby island. What happened happened, and we ended up getting married," Wufei finished hurriedly. Meiran nodded her acceptance of the story.

"That's so romantic," Quatre said happily. "Well, congratulations! I'm sure you'll have a happy marriage." Wufei frowned. "So, what was the ceremony like?" Now, Trowa had to kiss him again, this time so hard the boy fell out of his lap. "Wow!"

"Sorry he's nosy," Trowa apologized, and Wufei nodded.

"They always have their lesser qualities," he said dryly, and Meiran looked ready to "hurt" him again. "Stop looking at me like that, woman!"

"MRMFFFM MRRFFF," Meiran yelled, and Trowa just shook his head. This was going to be a long two days.

Heero woke up four hours later, his shirt gone and his back bandaged expertly, although there was still the soreness of new stitches along his muscles. To his left, a bloody Duo Maxwell was sprawled in a chair, mouth open and snoring soundlessly, which roughly translates to heavy breathing. Heero frowned. The only people he'd ever met that slept like that were soldiers and street kids.

But which one was the pirate? It was obvious from his body he'd had anything but an easy life. Heero wouldn't be surprised to find out Duo had nearly starved to death, let alone several times.

Then again, he himself had not had a particularly gentle childhood. He doubted anyone with a tattoo on their back did.

As he examined the slouched form, he realized how absolutely confused their relationship was. Were they friends? Lovers? Or...what? What the hell could he say to Quatre when the blonde found out? "Meet my occasional lover, Duo. We constantly threaten each other, and I think I'm falling in love."

Heero 'hn'ed at the idea. Duo probably knew what they were, and would tell him when he woke up.

"You good friends," a woman's voice asked, and Heero reached for his knife before remembering it wasn't there. A blonde-haired woman entered, looking serene. 'Doctor', Heero's brain confirmed, as nobody but a doctor or a slave-trader looked at a human like that. "He carried you in."

"I know," Heero said flatly. For a while, they just stared at each other.

"Not the talkative type, are you? Alright. I'm Sally Po, resident doctor-turned-ship's surgeon," she said, smiling. "And you're Heero." Her smile turned to a happy smirk. "Interesting dreams your friend has." Heero's face reddened a bit. "No, I'm just kidding! He told me before nodding off. But, boy can he sleep."

"We didn't get much sleep last night," he stated. Sally nodded.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here on the Prisoner Prince Pleasure Cruise," she said, and gave one of those 'I'm so witty' laughs. "I'm off to untie the princess. You, go back to sleep. Or else." Although he found the 'Or else' rather amusing, Heero did as he was told and dropped back to sleep.

But, when Sally Po was close to opening the dining room door, Noin stopped her, clearly noticing the scissors the doctor held in her hand.

"Don't open the door, please," Noin said, as close to frantic as the woman got. "If the Meiran woman gets untied, she'll probably kill her husband." Sally looked confused.

"Won't that be a problem? I mean, the prince is supposed to be betrothed to some girl in Sanc," Sally said, and Noin shrugged.

"We just have to hope he isn't the prince, then," she said, and walked back to where Zechs stood. Sally, with a shrug, went back the way she came. Noin probably knew best.

"I didn't know we had to marry one of them off," Noin said, and he shrugged. "Responsive today, aren't you?" Zech's lips twisted into a smile.

"You're lucky I know you, or else I'd think you meant something dirty," he said, and Noin blushed a bit.

"You're lucky I know you, or else I'd smash you onto the deck," she grumbled. "Your mind's always in the gutter. Sometimes I wonder what you have displayed inside that helmet of yours." Zechs smirked, but decided to let the taunting die.

"My money's on the blonde being prince," he finally said. In secret, Noin was an avid gambler, and insanely funny when drunk. But then again, he was usually drunk at the same time, which could impair his judgment. "He looks most like the king."

"I'll take that bet," she said, smiling. "The queen had brown hair."

"Need I remind you LIGHT brown? And with all the sun here, it'd probably turn blonde."

"Blonde pride? I'd have never guessed from you," Noin said, and Zechs laughed a little. "If I had to bet on just one, it'd be the unconscious kid. King had blue eyes, queen had brown hair, and he looks just enough crazy."

"Which would be quite a bit crazy."

"How would you know?"

Zechs just stared out to sea.

-----

A/N: So there. That's chapter 7. Shorter again. But, that's cause this is a boring, plotness chapter. We get to better things in 8, such as minor Relena bashing and more yaoi! Hooray! I'm toying with the idea of 6x9. You guys should tell me if you want it or not; otherwise, I'll just keep them at awkward glances. And, now we're into uberplot! Scary. And don't worry, there'll still be lots of pirates and all that goodness.

And this chapter's special people who reviewed are:

SnakeMistress!

Rekkaboziegirl!

j!

TKM!

Regina!

Mlaine!

Myca!

Windy River!

Thanks so much! Thanks for reading! Please review!


	8. The Voyage

A/N: Chapter 8! Hooray! This chapter's lots of fluff and history, and an itty-bitty citrus thing. I just don't want to send them into PURE Plotness just yet.

Warnings: The usual. Mild Relena bashing, and fluffy, citrusy goodness, too.

Disclaimer: Still aren't mine. Feel free to give them to me, though.

Sea of Silence

Chapter 8

The Voyage

"Rise and shine," a voice said far too cheerily in his ear. Heero kept his eyes firmly shut. Waking up was not his favorite activity. "Aww, come on, babe! Don't you want to see me in a leotard?" Heero's eyes snapped open, and he was disappointed to see a decently clothed Duo smiling down at him. "Heh. From that reaction, I may actually have to buy one." The doctor's room was empty, save for Heero and Duo.

"What did I miss," Heero finally asked, sitting up as Duo shrugged and sat on the side of the bed.

"Nothing much. Meiran's ready to kill Wuffles, and one of us tattooed guys is a prince," Duo shrugged, and Heero just nodded. "Boy, you seem surprised."

"My training was centralized around the protection of whoever happened to be Crown Prince of Algon," Heero stated flatly. "Quatre was trained to be the political advisor. We were all placed in positions to help the prince." Duo looked at him doubtfully.

"Now, that I don't believe," he finally said. "If someone planned my life, they sure as hell wanted a twisted kid." Before he could say anything else, there was a crash above them, and feet stomped towards the door. Wufei opened it, bristling in fury.

"That stupid woman," he yelled, close to panting. "She...she's almost as bad as you, Maxwell!" Duo grinned.

"Glad to see I rubbed off on somebody," he said giddily, noticing the green slime in Wufei's hair. "Green is not your color."

"I KNOW THAT," Wufei roared, and more feet approached the room. He slammed the door shut.

"Wufeeeiiii," Meiran's voice called. "Come out here RIGHT NOW!"

"Go away, woman," Wufei yelled. "There's sick people in here, and you're enough of a pain without you sniffling in my face!"

"Hn," Heero said, stood up, and put on the shirt Duo handed him. "I'm not sick."

"Come on, Mei! Break the door down," Duo said, still giggling, and Wufei braced the door just as Meiran slammed into it.

"Mrs. Chang, get away from my door," another woman snapped. "There will be no breaking, beating, or destruction of the only medical facility on this ship, stupid husband or no!"

"Don't call me Mrs. Chang! I'm Nataku," Meiran yelled, and Wufei slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Stupid woman," he muttered, and walked out the door. Duo and Heero just looked at each other.

"When did Meiran get untied," Duo asked, and Heero shrugged.

"I don't know. I was unconscious," he said, and a smirk appeared on his lips. "About that leotard..." Sally Po burst through the door, twisted blonde hair disheveled.

"How could they have ever gotten married," she asked the air.

"In a white dress and a black suit," Duo said with a shrug. "They had lots of flowers, too. Really, it was a lovely ceremony." Sally sighed.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Yuy," she asked, giving him that doctor look again. "Are you sure you're well enough to get out of bed?"

"I heal relatively quickly," Heero said, and glanced at Duo's bandaged leg. "Can you fix his leg?" Sally nodded.

"While you were asleep, I helped it along. But, if he continues to overwork it, it'll be at least another two weeks," she said, and shrugged. "If he doesn't use it much, it could be better in two days." Duo was blushing from the 'overwork' comment as Heero nodded. "He can walk, but no climbing, running, or fighting."

"Thank you," Heero said, and without another word picked Duo up and carried him onto the deck.

"Damn it, Heero, put me down! She said I could walk," Duo yelled, crossing his arms and giving the older boy his best pout. "And like you're in any condition to tell me what to do! You've still got stitches in your back." Heero grunted. "Verbose."

"Heero! Duo! Glad to see you're up and about," Quatre's cheery voice called out. Trowa and Quatre stood to the side, watching the approaching landmass. "And...Heero's carrying you." Heero nodded, Duo frowned mid-pout, and Quatre shrugged. "Whatever. We're almost to Algon. I'm so excited!" Trowa smiled down at the blonde.

"Well, that's good. I'm sick of this incompetent ship," Duo grumbled. "Stupid sailors wouldn't know what to do in a freaking lake. Heh. Navy. I tell you-"

"Quiet," Heero finally said. He was not in a rambling mood. Duo glared at him.

"And since when do you get to command me," he asked, and Heero smirked.

"We both know that answer," he muttered. Duo blushed.

"I'm going to hit you so hard your teeth fly out your ears if you don't put me down," Duo said calmly, and reluctantly Heero put him down. "Thanks, Hee-babe!" Duo flung an arm around the older boy's shoulders. "So, what are we talking about?" Quatre cleared his throat.

"Algon. It's less than a day away," he said, looking intently at the two. He knew something was up. "Anyway, Trowa and I are just trying to figure out who could be the prince. We've pretty much established it isn't him or Wufei, just by age."

"What are you talking about? Wu-bear's eighteen," Duo said. "He's obviously still in the running." Trowa nodded.

"And now you're willing to have an opinion on Wufei's age," Quatre asked, and Trowa shrugged.

"I just wasn't sure if my information was right. Duo would know," Trowa said, and all eyes turned to the pirate captain, who was looking pale and apprehensive.

"Why would Duo know," Heero asked coolly, and Trowa shrugged. All eyes now fixed on the taller, older boy.

"They had a thing going on a couple years ago," he said, and when Heero turned to look at Duo, said boy was already walking away quickly. As Heero walked away, Quatre whacked his boyfriend across the arm. "What?"

"You couldn't have told me all this first," he asked, light blue eyes showing his hurt. Trowa gave him a warm hug, smiling faintly.

"I never thought you'd want to know. Besides, it wasn't really my place to say it anyway," Trowa admitted. "I shouldn't have said anything to begin with."

"And what kind of a thing, anyway," Quatre's muffled voice asked. "Were they serious, or...what?" Trowa shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. I was still in my old job back then," he said, and gave Quatre a gentle kiss. "Duo's had a pretty messed-up life, and I respect his right to keep his past behind him. Just like you should." Quatre blushed.

"I'm trying..."

Heero caught up to the younger boy in the dining-turned-conference room. Duo had his back to him, staring out at the broken waves.

"Are you angry," Duo asked simply. Heero didn't know what to say. He felt...not betrayed, but something similar, like he was torn. Used. But, not angry.

"No," Heero finally said, shutting the door's lock firmly in place. "I'm not angry." Duo looked down a bit.

"Because, you shouldn't be. I mean, we both know it's obviously over, right? He's married, so you don't have to get angry or something," Duo said, almost like it was a question. "It's not like we were a couple or anything. We worked together, and..." Duo shrugged. "Stuff happens. I mean, if one of us got sick, the other was there. Fei's one of my best friends." Duo finally turned around uneasily to look at Heero.

"Did you love him," Heero asked, and Duo started to laugh.

"Hell no! Maybe in a brotherly, friendly kind of way, but not...you know, LOVE love," Duo said, and began playing with the end of his braid. He sighed. "I miss Hilde. She'd have known how to explain it." Heero's arms wrapped around him.

"If you've dated anyone else I know, I'd like to know now," he whispered into Duo's hair, and Duo giggled.

"Nope. Just him and you," he said, turning his violet eyes to Heero. "How's my hair smell?"

"Like you taste," Heero said, and gave him a teasing bite on the ear. "Clean and sweet, and just a bit salty." He kissed Duo's neck. "Like the sea." Duo's hand twisted into his hair, and brought Heero's lips to his own.

"You're chocolaty," Duo chuckled. "More than normal." Heero kissed him deeply again, and Duo smiled devilishly when their mouths separated. "I really like chocolate."

"Hey, Heero," Quatre's voice called as the door swung open, and the two launched to opposite corners of the room as the blonde walked into the room, curious. "Are you two fighting again?"

"Us? Fighting," Duo asked innocently, face bright red. "What gave you that idea?" Quatre shook his head, still smiling.

"We all know I'm empathic. Please, no more fighting. It's just, until we reach Algon..."

"You want quality time with Tro. I get it," Duo shrugged. "We'll play nice...nicer. Go cuddle." Quatre beamed at the two.

"Thank you so much! I really appreciate it," Quatre said, and shut the door to run out and jump into a startled Trowa's arms. Duo fell into a chair.

"Why don't people knock," he asked, and Heero smirked. Duo raised a finger threateningly. "You stop that! No more hanky panky; we promised Quatre to play nicer."

"You did, you mean. If you're the prince, 'we' can be taken as a royal 'I', and obviously, if it's taken that way, I can be as bad as I want," Heero said logically, and kissed Duo out of the chair and onto the floor. God, the boy had seven hands. Duo, eternally truthful, had to just lay there and be as motionless as possible.

"This isn't very comfortable," Duo finally managed to say as Heero worked on giving him yet another hickie. "That means stop." Heero immediately stopped, stood him up, and stepped away. Duo rearranged his clothing, grinning. "Not that it wasn't fun or anything, but it's just no fun to be a log having sex." Heero smirked and gave him a decent, loving, simple kiss on the lips.

"You owe me, then," Heero said, and after fixing his own clothes a bit walked back onto the deck.

Duo collapsed back into his chair afterwards. He'd had trouble keeping promises before, but that had been the hardest thing he'd ever done. Shit, that boy could kiss.

He smiled. Heero was pretty good at some other things, too.

With a frown, Duo realized he'd never been on a date with Heero. Sure, they were as loving as the next couple-not-couple, but he couldn't really call Heero his boyfriend. That was something to fix.

Duo (after rearranging his hair to cover some lovely new marks on his neck) walked over to Heero, who was gazing at the now-very close coast of Algon.

"Wanna go out with me some time," he finally asked, and Heero's blue eyes turned to his own, looking extremely amused. Heero looked around quickly, and then smiled.

It was one of those extremely rare, full-fledged smiles, that said, 'you've really, really made me happy.' Duo couldn't help but melt.

"You're paying," he said simply, smile gone, and gazed back out to sea.

------

A/N: Awwwww. Isn't that sweet. So much fluff...ugh. So short. And why was this chapter oh so slow in coming? I got really, really sick, and me on Sudafed is not a pretty sight. But, I did get a new non-exploding monitor! Hooray! Anyway, story stuff. Plotness (and more fluff) next chapter, and THEN we get to the Relena Impaling of Justice. Yes, normally I'd say bashing, but...there's gonna be something really, really bad. That's all I'm gonna say. It'll be good. (Grins evilly). Really good.

This week (sorry about that, again.)'s super reviewers are:

Mlaine!

Myca!

Hikaru!

Windy River!

TrenchcoatMan!

Thank you so much! I'm still gonna put up a special when I get to 50, so tell me whose past ya want: Trowa, Wuffles, Quatre, or Heero. Duo you can't have. That's too big of a spoiler.

Thanks for reading! Please, please, please review! If you guess the prince right, I'll give you a...umm...pie?


	9. SPECIAL! Trowa

A/N: SPECIAL ONE! WOOHOO! 50 reviews! You guys are great. I got two requests for Trowa, and that's the one I wanted to do anyway, just 'cuz I feel like he's getting cheated out of story time. Why? I'm a 1x2x1 fan. 3x4...not nearly as much. They're adorable and I love 'em, but compared to 1x2? No contest.

To explain how this here special thing works: Imagine just hopping back in time and observing the poor lil' kid struggling through life. ---- means it's jumping some more time. Got it? Good!

Anyway, normal warnings and all that jazz. Teensy spoilers in this for the rest of the story, of course, but we all knew that would happen. No 3x4, though, 'cuz they haven't met yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own Trowa or anyone else. Personally, I've always wanted to see him in a cat suit. Lucky Quatre...

Sea of Silence

SPECIAL 1

Trowa

----

"_I was in the circus once," Trowa said. "I was a clown who did magic tricks. Made two more instantly appear, you know? I found out it doesn't work on money or metal the hard way."_

----

The ringmaster looked up expectantly, brown eyes glinting in the smoky haze. "And you think you have something the show needs," he asked, doubt coating his words. The boy in front of him, barely twelve years old, nodded, and the ringmaster leaned back in his wooden chair. "Well, I'll be damned. Tell me, why not go running home to your family?"

"Don't have one," the boy said simply, emerald eyes glazed over in the candlelight. The ringmaster nodded.

"Alright. Show me what you've got," he said, shrugging, and the boy stood, only to be stopped by a snap of the man's fingers. "Wait! What's your show name?"

"...Nanashi," he said, looking blank, and the ringmaster frowned.

"That's horrible. No flare, no flare at all! Tell me, what's your real name," the man said, and the boy stood up, preparing his example. The ringmaster stomped his foot in impatience. "Well, boy? I'm waiting."

"You may call me what you want," he said simply. For the first time, the ringmaster noted the cold grace the boy carried himself with. It was like watching the wind walk. "If you need a name, Nanashi will do." The ringmaster shook his head again.

"Well, Nanashi sucks, so let's name you, eh? How about Tom? No? Hmmm...well, it's gotta be a good show name," the man said, only to receive a meaningful glance from the nameless boy.

"I haven't even shown you my act," he said. With that, he grabbed a candle, closed his palm, and when it opened, three identical candles lay in his hand. The ringmaster gaped.

"That's...that's the best trick I've ever seen," he yelled. The boy didn't smile. "How's it work?"

"A magician never reveals his tricks," the boy stated. "It's always three, though." The ringmaster rubbed his chin thoughtfully, not realizing his fake beard was pulling off.

"Three, eh? Hmm...Trowa! Means three in some fancy-pants language. Crowds love that stuff," the ringmaster looked around at the empty bar. "Trowa...Bar. Ton. Trowa Barton. Definitely an improvement." The green-eyed boy looked at him with indifference.

"You want me, or not," he asked, and the ringmaster nodded emphatically.

"Trowa, you'll be the star of the show."

----

The tent was green, a yellow stripe spiraling towards the center pole. The fabric fluttered in the wind, and the boy-Trowa, he corrected- was carrying a pack on his shoulder. The ringmaster was struck by the thinness of both the bag and the boy.

"Impressed? Wait until we get to the animals," he said smugly, and the silent boy just nodded. When they did get to the animal cages, the brunette stopped straight in front of the lion cage.

"What are they," he asked in that eerily monotone voice, and the ringmaster explained that they were lions. The boy stepped towards the cave, and one of the lions strolled to the bars, golden eyes staring into Trowa's green. "I don't see why you have them caged. They're harmless." With that, the boy placed his pack in through the bars, and slid himself in as well.

"Hey! What the hell? Boy, get out of there now," the ringmaster yelled, but the boy ignored him, scratching the lion behind the ears. "Trowa! Get out, or your job's gone." Cold green eyes glanced back at him.

"They know you're scared," he said, and after one last scratch slid back out through the bars, pack in tow. The lions, which had circled around him, followed with their eyes as the ringmaster led his employee towards the back tent.

"Hell, any sane human would be scared of a lion," the ringmaster grumbled. "It can rip your arms off if it wants to." His brown eyes looked hesitantly at the boy. "You're not just a kid, are you? What's your deal? It's like you're dead or something."

"I died a long time ago," Trowa stated, and the man couldn't help but shiver. There was no doubt in that voice.

He'd been a mercenary at seven, and when his entire crew had died from a traitor, the boy had run. To where, he didn't know; from what, he couldn't say. He'd ended up on street corners, nearly passing out each time he performed his little "trick" for some more money. His life had been a maze of blood and roses. First he got the rose, and then it turned to his blood dripping across the thorns.

In the back of his mind, Trowa wondered how long it would be until he was stabbed again.

----

"Trowa Barton, meet Catherine Bloom," the ringmaster, now two years older, said as he ushered in the seventeen-year-old acrobat. She smiled at the silent boy, who just nodded. "He's a bit on the quiet side, and likes to sleep with the lions, so the tent's practically yours alone." Catherine frowned, and the unconcerned ringmaster left.

"I've seen your act," she said hesitantly, and his green eyes met her own gray-blue. Catherine frowned. "Hey, now, you stop that! You're going to talk to me whether you want to or not." Trowa pursed his lips. Most people knew not to talk to him like that. He was the cold, heartless bastard. Nobody even bothered to try and talk to him like that. It just wasn't done.

Catherine sighed, and plopped down in the empty chair to her right. "Well, hi then. YOU are going to be my target." He raised an eyebrow, but she refused to speak via body language.

"Target," he finally asked, and Catherine grinned, pulling out a knife.

"Yep. Target. I throw knives, and it's rare to find a guy willing to do it," she said. "You afraid?" He shook his head. "Good! You're a brave boy. Now, what's this about sleeping with lions? That's just nasty. If you're sharing a tent with me, you'll bathe regularly, and you are sleeping in a good old-fashioned bed, do you understand?" Trowa, shocked, nodded dumbly. To surprise him even more, the young circus woman threw her arms around him. "We'll have so much fun! It's like you're my little brother!" He blinked. BROTHER?

----

"Wasn't that great, folks? Let's hear another round of applause for Catherine Bloom and the Silent Clown," the ringmaster, now yet another two years older, yelled out, and the crowd clapped enthusiastically. The two adopted siblings were a great draw, and ever since their first show together Trowa had gone to being just the Silent Clown, wearing half a mask and "taming" lions almost daily. Honestly, the things would probably do back flips while singing for him without asking. But, today was special.

There'd been a singular call for Trowa's Triplication act returning for this town. Although the ringmaster was still somewhat anxious near the kid, four years had taught him to consider the boy a nephew. He hated the faint that always came afterwards, Catherine there to catch him or no. But, the show would go on.

"And now, it's time for a rare feat! The Silent Clown will now perform a magic trick so astounding, it has never been...copied," he began, and chuckled a little at the pun. Trowa walked into the center ring and bowed deeply. He was incredibly tall for sixteen, and was still as thin and graceful as ever. Nowadays, he rivaled even Catherine in acrobatics. "Without further ado, I give you Triplication!"

With a flourish, Trowa showed he had nothing in his pants (he wasn't wearing a shirt), and nothing in his hands, as Catherine handed him a small wooden idol. He held it up for the audience to see, and closed it in his hand. The smoke went off, and he opened his hand to show three of the same thing. The crowd muttered, and Trowa grabbed a wooden stick. Another flourish, and three were in his hand. The crowd gasped.

When the show was over, a man approached Trowa, leaning heavily against the outside of the lion's cage.

"That was very impressive, Mr. Barton," he drawled. "I wonder, does that trick work with everything?" Trowa shrugged.

"As far as I know," he said, still close to fainting. The man nodded.

"I'd like you to work for me," the man said, and Trowa's green eyes pierced into the man. "I want to give you a job."

"I already have one," he said coldly, climbed into the cage, and collapsed elegantly onto the ground, unconscious.

----

The lions were dead when he woke up. The lions were bloody, broken, and dead, the cage was surrounded by men in white coats, and a single man wearing a black coat stood in front of the official gate in and out of the now-useless pen.

"Trowa Barton, the Silent Clown," the black-coated man addressed him, a silver chain jingling in his palm. "Your Triplication act impressed us. It impressed us damn good." He frowned at the man's poor grammar. "We have job for you, yes? You make money damn good."

"I have a job already," Trowa stated, and noticed men pulled out daggers.

"Triplicate here chain," the man in the black coat said, and tossed the metallic strand onto the nearest dead lion's body. He didn't realize he was glaring.

"No," Trowa said, and didn't even touch the thing. The daggers came further out.

"Triplicate there chain, make money damn good," the man persisted, as if restating his offer made him want to do it more. "No triplicate, no live." Every man in a white coat pulled the knives out with a flourish, smiling malevolently at the clown.

Was death really that bad, Trowa asked himself. Would it hurt? He sat there, expression blank. He did not fear death- in fact, he was almost curious about it. The only difficulty would be Catherine. Funerals were expensive, and he didn't want to make her pay for everything.

"Would you pay for my funeral," Trowa asked, and the men blinked at him. It was obviously not the expected response. They looked at the man in black, who was openly gaping at the sixteen-year-old.

"No," the man finally said, and with a mental shrug, Trowa touched the chain, twisting his mind and willing it to triplicate. The boy frowned. It didn't work.

"It won't work," Trowa said calmly, and the man glared at him.

"Make it work," he said, and Trowa shook his head, green eyes closed. He tried again, and when it didn't work, the man threw in a gold coin. "Try that." He did, and yet again, was unsuccessful.

"I can't. I've never tried a metal before; it must be too chemically plain for me to change it. If you want some hair, I could do that," Trowa offered, and the man's glare intensified.

"Take him," he said, and seventeen daggers flew towards the clown, who jumped up just in time to cling on the upper bars of the cage. "Down now! Triplicate or die, damn it!" The man began to yell in a different language. "Tuer le clown!" Trowa pulled himself up and over the bars, and with the experience born of dodging his sister's daggers jumped onto the circus tent's roof. He let it act like a trampoline, and bounced towards his tent, the men scrambling after him.

----

He hadn't said goodbye to Catherine. He'd just grabbed the essentials (his knives, clothes, food, and the paper rose his sister had given him two days ago), shoved them in his bag, and run. The men had kept up for two miles, but stopped after some more profanity from the man in the black coat.

Now, it had been three months, and he was at the seaside port of Cayenne. It was a haven for those who didn't want to be found, like himself. Wanted posters had surfaced recently about him, so he'd taken to using the name Nanashi again, when he needed a designation. He'd begun to hate the name during his time with Catherine, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

This was why he stood on a street corner, staring intently at the baker's window. It had been three days since he'd eaten, and Trowa didn't dare try to raise money using his old street-side triplication act. They'd catch him, and kill him after realizing he hadn't been lying. God, he was hungry. He could triplicate his food, yes, but triplicates of triplicates were about as tasty, nutritious and filling as a mosquito, without the blood. And originals, not to mention triplicates, spoiled. He was desperate.

It was night, so he didn't have to worry about being seen. And the bread was just lying there...

He broke the window loudly, grabbed a few loaves, and ran, the yells of the panicked baker following. His long legs carried him nine streets down, until he found himself on the dock. The troupe had occasionally sailed to and from towns, and he was relatively learned on how the ships worked. Maybe he should be a sailor?

He slumped down against a post, munching on a loaf and contemplating. He didn't even hear the black figure slink behind him, grinning.

"HIYA," it yelled, arms spread out, and Trowa's bread went sailing into the air as he pulled out three knives in a single hand. Wide violet eyes shimmered. "That was so cool! Do it again!" There was a sigh behind Trowa again, and he turned to see an annoyed-looking boy holding his bread.

"Why do you love torturing people like that, Maxwell," the black-haired boy asked, and the violet-eyed boy slung an arm around his neck.

"Because, Solo hates it when I torture you, and I need to cause mischief," he shrugged, and noted Trowa still had his daggers out. "Eh...you gonna put those away any time soon?" Trowa stowed them carefully, and took his time about sliding them into their respective sheathes.

"What are you doing at this end of the dock," the oriental-looking boy asked, handing Trowa his bread. "Nobody comes down here."

"Eating," Trowa said simply. "And, looking for a ship to sail on." Both boys' eyes brightened.

"Hey, we could help you out! Wu and I are first mates on a ship," the violet-eyed boy said, and for the first time Trowa noticed the long braid hanging down his back. Further appraisal placed the boy at thirteen. An eyebrow rose.

"You're a first mate," he asked, and the boy nodded happily. "You're...co-first mates?" Again, a nod. "How?"

"Like this!" The braided boy sucked in air, and bellowed. "GET UP YOU LAZY SLACKERS, AND GET BACK TO WORK!" On the nearby ship, lights flared into existence and half-dressed sailors scrambled on deck. The black-haired boy was shaking his head sorrowfully as the supposed first mate beamed at him. "It's really easy."

"DUO!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU YELLING ABOUT AT THREE IN THE FREAKING MORNING," a man's voice yelled, and the violet-eyed boy seemed to shrink. "Wufei, get his ass up here." A ruffled-looking twenty-year old appeared on the bow of the ship, frowning and glaring like nobody's business. Wufei nodded, and with a swift push, Duo was pushed onto the gangplank and towards the captain. When he moved on his own, albeit slowly, Wufei turned back to Trowa.

"Coming?"

----

A/N: TADAAA!! That's Trowa's story. Hope you enjoyed. And why am I not doing the Hooray For Reviewers? I don't consider this a real chapter; it's just fun background. (And wasn't that fun?!) But, you CAN review, and get Thanked next official chapter.

BUUUT...

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank you people who've reviewed my story up to 50!!! You guys are awesome. Get to 100, and you get another! Hooray!!! Thanks for reading this, and feel free to review!!!


	10. The Kingdom

A/N: And it's the magical, plot-turning chapter 9! Took long enough, huh? Well, up here, I'd just like to say the next special's at 75, not 100. Sorry 'bout that...ehehehe...But, if by some miracle I get to 100, it'll be some sort of Uber-Special, I guarantee, just because you guys are great! (Duo's Special is coming out on Aug. 31st, regardless of review number. It's my birthday present to ME! I'm so happy...)

Warnings: You know the drill. Yaoi, 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xMeiran, fluff, little OOC, extreme AU, Relena Bashing/Destruction (next chapter), violence, and the Ever-Present Profanity.

Disclaimer: SUE ME! MUWAHAHAHAH!

Sea of Silence

Chapter 9

The Kingdom

Duo was grumbling as soon as their feet touched the dock, mostly because his feet DIDN'T touch the dock. Heero was carrying him. Again. He scowled at the metropolis of Rayth, crown seat of Algon, filled with cobblestone roads and annoyingly pastel buildings, all with roofs shaped like an egg chopped in half. He'd never been fond of light colors.

"If you'll all come with me," Noin said, gesturing for the five boys and Meiran to follow her towards two waiting carriages. Noin climbed into one, and Zechs into the other. The boys all looked at each other, and finally they split up. Duo, Heero and Wufei climbed in with Zechs, and Trowa, Quatre and Meiran (who was busy ignoring Wufei) climbed in with Noin.

"How do you like Rayth," he asked, and Duo was still a little creeped out by the silver bowl with eye slits on his head.

"It's pretty, I guess," Duo said with a shrug, barely noticing he was sitting on Heero's lap. After all, Heero had carried him into the wooden compartment. "I'm not big into pastels and stuff though." Zechs nodded, and his head turned to Wufei.

"The port seems economically advanced," he said, almost snapping. "But, I trust my instincts more than my eyes. Rayth's poor, and ancient. Well fortified, too." Heero snorted.

"If you call a wall fortification," he said dryly. "I've seen houses with much better protection than the entire city." Duo nodded, knowing which house Heero was referring to. And he'd only seen about half of it.

Duo blushed a bit. Well, they had been somewhat busy, after all.

The carriage rolled on, and Duo hopped off Heero to look out the window at the passing people. Old man, boy with a donkey, woman with a baby, Hilde- "HILDE!"

Duo jumped out of the carriage window, yelling at the retreating figure in a green cloak. "HILDE! Get your ass back here! HILDE," Duo continued yelling, running down the side street his adopted sister had taken, but soon found himself picked up again, staring into a very moody Heero's eyes. "Hilde ran off that way! Get her!" He looked doubtfully at the violet-eyed pirate in his arms.

"I don't think it was her, Duo," he said as gently as he could, and Duo frowned. He'd know that shade of hair anywhere, long or no. It seemed like Hilde had grown her hair out in a year, but then again she'd always- "Duo. It wasn't her."

"Damn it, Heero, how the hell do you know," Duo growled, crossing his arms. "Did you see her?"

"Did you?" His frown deepened.

"Why can't you just be a good, supportive type of boyfriend," Duo began to rant. "Why can't you just be my friend, and tell me, 'Yeah, Duo, we'll catch her next time! I'm sure!' Why the hell do you always have to be so damn RIGHT?! Just...arrgh! Just go away!" Duo rolled himself out of Heero's arms, landing crouched on the ground and ready for a fight.

In fact, bristling for a fight. Duo really, really wanted to kill something, preferably something that would fight back. And Heero would do that very, very well.

"I'm not going to fight you," Heero said simply, and Duo's face soured. Damn. "Let's get back to the coach." Duo stood up, still frowning.

"You owe me," he grumbled, and pulled his curved knife out as soon as Heero made to pick him up again. "Nu-uh! You pick me up, we have no more fun." Duo was glaring as Heero frowned. He'd never seen Duo this mad.

"Everything okay," Wufei asked as they climbed back in.

"Fine," Duo snapped, slamming the door shut. Every inhabitant of the carriage flinched at the resounding crack. "Get going, already!"

The rest of the ride was left in a bitter silence as they made their way to the large complex of buildings that served as the palace. With a majestic tower surrounded by smaller yet opulent buildings, it was function over form.

The gate opened quietly, clearly greased just that morning, but the silence was drowned out by the sound of an army's concise movement, each of the three hundred Rayth Guard unsheathing their sword and holding it aloft, letting out a quick yell at the same time. Wufei visibly jumped.

"That would be the Rayth Guard," Zechs said. "If you notice the gold trim on some of the uniforms that's the Rayth Castle Guard." Duo noticed about a third had the glint of yellow on their collars.

The carriage stopped in front of the Tower, a very ticked Noin standing in front of the huge silver double doors that marked the entrance to the shiny white building. Wufei got out first, and was immediately tackled by his wife, who'd been...somewhere. Duo couldn't tell.

"Don't you ever-" Meiran was yelling, but stopped to give Wufei a huge, soul-wrenching kiss. "-do that again, you idiot! When you're-" Another kiss. "-supposed to be somewhere BE THERE!"

"Damn it, woman," Wufei yelled, and reciprocated yet another kiss, hands creeping up his wife's back. Noin cleared her throat loudly, but as the two continued to make out in front of the contingent of soldiers finally stopped them by pulling Meiran literally off her husband.

"In Wufei speech, 'Damn it, woman' means, 'I love you'," Duo confided to Heero, and then shook his head, braid flying. He was still pissed. That HAD to have been Hilde.

"Now, if you'd please follow me again," a ruffled Noin said, glaring at Meiran, who'd tried to bite her hand. "And don't get lost this time."

"I wasn't lost," Duo grumbled, but either nobody noticed or nobody cared to respond. Zechs and Noin just ushered the six (Trowa and Quatre had joined up from inside) towards a small wooden door, which opened to reveal a simple conference room.

Two people sat within. One was a ginger-haired man in a plain but well-made outfit of royal blue with a sword at his hip. The other was a woman standing at attention behind him in a similar outfit, but in burgundy, her brown hair tied up in two buns.

"May I present the Steward Treize Khushrenada, and his assistant Lady Une," Noin said, and Zechs left the room, holding the door for his female friend. Duo was appraising Treize when he spoke.

"Well, I guess it's about time I got down to it," he sighed, and stood up, looking as regal as any king. "There are five of you with tattoos, each given a guardian power in relation to the symbol, so as to ensure your arrival to here. Believe it or not, I don't know which of you is the prince." Wufei began to mutter. "However, I do know which letter is assigned to which duty." The grumbling stopped, and Lady Une stepped forward.

"I'm sorry, my Lady Chang, but if I may escort you out," she asked, obviously trying to be as polite as possible. Meiran, with a quick slap to Wufei's head and sticking her tongue out at the object of her affections, let the woman walk her out of the room. The boys sat down.

"First, I would like to begin with pi, the sign of war," Treize said, and Wufei nodded. "I understand you attended military school? I assume you excelled, as well." Again, Wufei nodded. "According to the will of the King, you are soon to be the official General of the Algon Armed Forces." Wufei gaped at the man.

"HOLY SHIT," Duo yelled. "He's not even the prince, and he gets all the good stuff!"

"Duo, shut up," Trowa said calmly, and Duo sat deeper into his chair.

"Now, on to gamma, the New Three," Treize said. Trowa shifted a little. "You are undoubtedly going to hate this job. I apologize. According to His Majesty's will, you are to be economical advisor to the Crown." Trowa just nodded. He'd probably just give the job to Catherine; she loved shopping.

"The Soul, Sigma-" Quatre clutched Trowa's hand in a death grip. "-is to be the political advisor to the Crown." Every face at the table soured.

"I thought Quatre was the prince," Heero stated, and Treize shrugged.

"Everything is being said as it was written in the will," he said. "I had to memorize it when I was fifteen."

"So your memory could have been tarnished in all that time," Trowa inserted, and Treize shook his head.

"No, I guarantee this is correct," he said. "For the remaining two...Omega, the sign of Ending, is the prince's royal bodyguard-"

"FUCK NO," Duo yelled, violet eyes wide as Treize continued as if the outburst hadn't happened.

"-and phi, the sign of wind and death, is the Crown Prince of Algon, who remained unnamed for protection reasons. His symbol was chosen to represent the king's demise." Treize stopped, looking around for the first time.

Every single boy's mouth was wide open, save Duo's, as he happened to be lying unconscious on the floor, Heero looking astonished right next to him.

Atropos shrugged off her cloak. She hated the damn thing; it was too green and gaudy. She'd always liked things a good middle color, like beige or gray. It faded into the background better. She was hanging it on the small coat rack in the corner and about to pick up her book when someone knocked on the door.

For a moment, she panicked, fearing it could be the boy who'd chased her into the alleys just an hour ago. He'd been yelling...hide, she thought. The knock came again, and the girl opened the door to see a big silver bowl.

"Hey, Zechs," she said cheerily, and he just frowned, looking inside the room. "Noin's not back yet. She probably went to go see you." Atropos giggled as the tall blonde man stepped into the room with a sigh.

"Attie, I need to see her," Zechs said, almost preoccupied with rubbing the helmet he wore constantly. It was a nervous tick that always meant he felt guilty. "I'm...I think something bad's going to happen. No, I know something bad's going to happen. Will you do me a favor and tell her I'll meet her at the normal spot?" Atropos nodded quickly. "Thanks, Attie. You're a good little sister to her." She grinned.

"What are friends for," she asked, slinging an arm around his neck in a gesture of friendship, walking him back towards the door. "Now, I'm going to go take a bath. You should too. You still smell like a ship." Zechs smirked.

"You'd know, Fishie," he said. He was like an older cousin to her, which was the only reason Atropos let him get away with referencing her mysterious wash-up on the shores of Algon, with amnesia. Noin had found her on a patrol, and all she'd remembered was something about the god of death being her brother. So, she took the name Atropos; it was the resident goddess of death, also known as the Cutter of the Thread.

Plus, it sounded cool.

"Get out of here, Bowl Brain," Atropos mock-yelled, and he complied, sweeping a joking bow at her before leaving her alone in the room with her thoughts, a book, and that damn green cloak. Thank god Zechs hadn't turned her around to see the spray of blood from her most recent victim. Sometimes assassination was a dirty business, both morally and physically. It was one of the many reasons she chose to wear men's clothing, and two-fronted shirts.

Atropos sighed. She needed a bath.

A/N: And that's the Monumental Chapter. Now, I have a quick request for anyone interested in beta-ing something for me (not related to this) to either review and say so, or email. I'd REALLY appreciate it. Did the prince surprise you? Yes? No? And Atropos is the Greek goddess of death, if you were wondering. Sorry this is so short, but I couldn't really stretch this out; I wanted it just flat-out stated, no lovely imagery, no fun Duo-POV stuff, just...said. Thanks for reading! My splendiferous reviewers are...:

SnakeMistress

camillian

Silver Cateyes

(2 Times!!!) Mlaine

Meliza Mac

(2 Times!!!) TrenchcoatMan

(2 Times!!!) Windy River

Mistress Koishii

(2 times!!!) Myca (Taylor Mercury. Thanks for the flowers! =D)

CATNIP

shinigami88220

You guys are great. Thanks sooo much!

And yet again, next special is at 75, not 100. I was insane at the time. Duo Special Aug. 31st, cause I love myself and my birthday, and THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	11. SPECIAL! Duo

A/N: HOORAY!!! Duo Special!! And, I'd just like to point out this was posted at 12:05 where I live, on 8/31! SO HA! I wanted morning people to be able to read it on my birthday...

Normal Warnings, which include minor/major Spoilers, depending on how good a detective you are, profanity, and...the normal stuff. Itty-bitty 5x2. Also, I've reversed Duo's past (IE, Maxwell Church Tragedy before Solo; thus, I changed things accordingly.) ALSO, Duo sounds a bit like our dear 'Fei-Fei at the beginning because he's been ever so idealistic in his youth, with Father Maxwell and all that. We're still going for the reversed past thing, remember? Yeah...anyway...MORBID alert! Gruesome if you're imaginative, and still nasty if you're not. And it's REALLY LOONG...

Disclaimer: If I DID own the boys, Duo would be wearing a black trench coat, combat boots, and little short shorts, Wufei would be wearing...well, his normal stuff, and Heero? Eheheh...let's just say chains are gooood.

Sea of Silence

SPECIAL 2

Duo

X----X

"Nobody just wakes up and decides, 'hey, I'll be a pirate when I grow up'. At least, if they do, they're an idiot and get killed by the first pirate they see. You just get pushed into it," Duo said with a shrug. "Me, I got more shoved than pushed. Fast, hard, and not very polite."

X----X

"You'll like the orphanage, I'm sure," Sister Helen said, holding the five-year-old's hand loosely. His long, unbound hair swished across her wrist again. "Now, what's your name?" Lonely violet eyes looked up at the nun.

"...I was always just 2...or kid..." he said, and clutched a strand of his hair tight in his small palm. "I miss them! I wanna go back!" The boy tore free from her grip, and began to run back towards the dock.

"Wait! Wait, Kid, come back," she said. In an act of desperation to catch the black-clad child, she hiked up her skirt and ran back up the road, gathering the crying boy into her arms as soon as possible. "Shhh...shhh...It'll be okay. I'm here with you..."

"Don't leave me too! Stay with me," the boy cried into her shoulder, and Sister Helen hugged him tightly.

"I'll always be here with you..." His watery violet eyes looked into her own green.

"So...so, really, you'll never leave? You promise," he asked urgently. She smiled like an angel.

"I promise. We'll be a pair," she confided, and the previously sobbing boy broke into a smile.

"Kitty called it a duo! We'll be a duo," he said. Sister Helen pulled his long hair behind his head. It was so pretty.

"Duo. That's a lovely name. Now, want to go down to the church with me? Father Maxwell's very excited to meet you," she said, and put the child down. He frowned.

"Father...Maxwell? Is he my daddy," the boy asked, and Sister Helen giggled.

"Is your last name Maxwell, then?" He broke into another smile, and pulled her back down the path.

"Sure! We're the Maxwell Duo! You're my sister, Father's my daddy," the boy began, in that rambling, half-coherent manner only a five-year-old can manage.

"So, Duo Maxwell, is that your name?" The boy frowned again, looking as deep in thought as a young boy can.

"Sure!" He picked up the pace. "Catch me if you can!" The boy ran down the hill, and Sister Helen sighed. He was a whirlwind of energy, and she was NOT.

X----X

"Duo, please pay attention," Father Maxwell sighed, and the violet-eyed boy's demeanor immediately switched to the compliant student. He wore a priest's collar and outfit on his six-year-old body. "It's my duty to teach you your moral obligations, and I take that seriously, even if you do not."

"Yes, Father," Duo muttered, hands clasped on the desk. "Please continue." Father Maxwell sighed, but submitted to his pupil's request.

"The utmost sin is betrayal, as we've already discussed," Father Maxwell began, and Duo nodded, hypnotized by his voice. "Betrayal is anything that twists the truth."

"Like lying," Duo asked, and Father Maxwell nodded, smiling.

"Exactly. Lying is one of the most common betrayals. Nowadays, people do it without even thinking about it," Father Maxwell said.

"That's why they'll go to Hell," Duo yelled out, excited as always when he got to condemn people. Father Maxwell shot him a stern frown.

"Duo! Not everyone goes to hell for lying," he said slowly. "Sometimes, when the lie is justified, or helps far more than it hurts, God will forgive the liar. But, that's no reason to go about lying back and forth. God is only lenient when we honor him." Duo nodded.

"So, lying is bad, except when it's for the greater good," he asked, face twisting in contemplation. Father Maxwell's patient smile returned.

"That's correct. Lying is a horrible thing. It deceives, which is one of the utmost betrayals. It's a dirty thing to do, too," he added. "And the greater good must be much, much greater than anything you can probably imagine. Like, the world, for example." Duo giggled.

"How could betrayal help the world, Father, if it's so dirty," he asked.

"Because, the world is not a clean place to begin with," Father Maxwell said apathetically. "I doubt it'd notice a little more muck on its surface."

X----X

"Duoooo! C'mon, get outta the tree! It's my turn," Michael whined, and the seven-year-old chuckled.

"I don't think anything's going to change in half an hour," Duo shrugged, rebraiding his long chestnut hair. It had been caught in the branches a year ago, and Sister Helen had braided it for him. Ever since, he'd kept it. "Besides, you're too short to make it up here! The cloud'll go away if nobody's watching it!" He, of course, knew this was a lie, but Duo was fascinated by the approaching white cloud floating along the ocean surface.

"Whaddaya think it is," Michael asked, screwing up his face to watch the speedy blur skim across the water. Duo shrugged.

"It kinda looks like a piece of Father Maxwell's fancy white paper," he said. "Maybe we oughta go ask Sister Helen?"

"Why's it just sitting out there," Michael prodded. Duo didn't respond, intent on finding why the cloud had suddenly stopped moving. "Duo? What's the cloud doing?" It had stopped right in front of Port Lynn, the city on the island that was just a bit away.

"I'm gonna go see," Duo finally said, and hopped down, black clothing shifting with his practiced movements. "Go ask Sister Helen if she knows what it is. Don't worry, I'll be back in an hour at most."

"...Don' do anything funny, Duo," Michael finally said, looking as wary and hesitant as a six-year-old could. "Don' do that thing you did to Pauline." Duo's violet eyes darkened.

Pauline. She'd tried to molest Jake, one of the younger boys in the orphanage. It was only by chance Duo had walked into the room to get his bible for class with Father Maxwell. Without knowing what he was doing, Duo had blasted her off her feet and sent the noblewoman sprawled against the wall, whimpering. Jake had run out crying, and Duo had had to be pried off her quivering lifeless body, still pummeling her with both his power and small fists.

Pauline had never woken up. Duo preferred it that way.

"I'll try," he said, and ran off towards Port Lynn.

As soon as he reached the small bridge to town, he realized his mistake. The city was burning; every wooden edifice was adorned with red flames licking the summer sky. Women were screaming, men were yelling, and the children...

Duo realized there were no children.

He froze on the dirt path. This had been a mistake. Duo was going to die, and it was nobody's fault but his own. Shit. He was going to die, and never get to ask Father Maxwell to forgive him, to never hug Sister Helen again...

A woman ran screaming towards him, fire rotting her flesh away in a reeking inferno. Duo was still frozen. Oh, God. There was no sense in this! Where was the forgiveness Father Maxell had constantly preached? Where was the justice, the truth, the...the _light_, for God's sake?!

The woman collapsed in front of him, and Duo found himself wondering if she'd done anything to deserve this sort of death. Had she been a whore? A drug-dealer? Or a friendly neighbor, mother, and wife?

His violet eyes narrowed. There was no sense in this.

He walked forward, straight over the still-burning corpse, and into the fiery hell. If there was a God, like he'd been taught almost all his life, where was he in this? The boy in priest clothing decided to search for anything to stop the nightmare. Past burning barns with horses shrieking inside, past men and women cut open and left to die...after a while, he wasn't even looking.

"I'm looking for the reason," Duo yelled out to the heavy air in the town square. "Where's the cause?" He found himself walking in a circle around the burning statue of a ship's wheel. "WHERE'S THE JUSTICE?!"

He stopped his circle as soon as his eyes latched onto the now-burning white building he called home.

Panicked, Duo ran towards his orphanage, his church, his family, barely dodging the flames and dead in Port Lynn.

"...killed her! He killed Lady Pauline, and now the demon's after the whole damn town," a voice yelled out, and Duo noticed the small crowd surrounding the Maxwell Church and Orphanage. "That brat's always been trouble! Only the devil could have purple eyes like that!" An angry roar went up from the twelve people, and Duo heard the steady screaming from inside the building.

"Please, no! They're only children! How could you blame them for this," Sister Helen began, and made for the barred, jiggling door, only to be whacked in the head with a rock. She fell down hard, green eyes still open in surprise.

"Helen," Father Maxwell yelled out, and was barely held back from the door and Sister Helen by the mob.

"Let her burn too! The whore..." Duo's hands clutched into fists.

"No! Please, God, let the children out! He's not in there," Father Maxwell yelled, and as he ran for the locked door, a knife went straight into his chest. "G...God!" He fell.

Duo had never been so angry in his life. The screams had all but died down now, and both Father Maxwell and Sister Helen were undeniably dead, unless your neck was really supposed to turn that way.

Duo stood up from his hiding place in the bushes, grinning.

"The demon! He's alive! Kill him," the leader yelled, but not a one moved, from the glint in Duo's violet night eyes.

"I'm not a demon," Duo said, smiling, and brought his two fists up. He willed the pain to collect in his closed palms, and his grin broadened. "I'm the God of Death." He opened his hands, and shoved.

They fell to the fire-lit ground, screaming like nothing he'd ever heard, even in that night of terror.

Duo didn't move. He stood, barely outside the burning, lifeless skeleton of his home, and wept.

X----X

The next morning, he was woken by a whistle.

"Good God, what happened here?" Footsteps.

"Beats me. We were still trying to put out the fires in the treasury. Never knew it'd catch that fast," another voice said, verbally shrugging. "This is worse than even in town!"

"God, there must be at least twenty kids in there..." the first voice whispered, and Duo couldn't help but whimper.

"Hey! Solo! One of 'em's alive," the second voice yelled out, and four feet pounded towards him. He looked around, trying not to cry. God, he could still smell it.

"Kid, you alright," a young man asked, and he looked into worried brown eyes. "Who are you?"

"G...god of death..." he stammered, holding in tears.

"Shinigami," the second voice asked, and he nodded. He was Shinigami.

"So, Little Death, what's your name," the young man asked. The boy swallowed.

"I...I was Duo M-Maxwell," he stammered again. Oh, it hurt.

"Well, Duo, I'm Solo, and you're the only one left alive on the island," Solo said factually. "So, that means you're the sole benefactor of an entire lode of treasure." The man behind the blonde gasped, and began to stammer. "Eran, if you've got an objection, I'll kill you." The stammering stopped.

"I have nowhere to go...?" the boy looked into Solo's eyes, and the older man smiled.

"You can come with me. I'm only fifteen, but I'll take care of you, kid," Solo said, and picked the seven-year-old up. "Ever been on a pirate ship?"

X----X

"HOLY SHIT," Duo yelled, and all eyes on deck looked up at the eleven-year-old pirate hanging from the Crow's Nest. "Oi! Solo! We got a major wreck to the northwest; looks like a military crash." The blonde captain cursed as Duo rappelled down the mast to his adopted big brother.

"Survivors?" Duo shrugged.

"Maybe. We gotta go check," Duo said. Solo nodded grudgingly, and the helmsman made the correction even without a command.

The wreck was chaos. The two ships had rammed into each other, and it looked like almost everyone was dead.

Almost, as in one person was still alive.

Duo scampered over, as the smallest crewman, and as soon as he prepared to yell, a sword flew by his head.

"Damn it," a voice cursed, and Duo ran forward to see a disgruntled-looking boy leaning tiredly against one of the fallen masts. "Just kill me, already!"

"HA! Kill you? What a waste of a survivor," Duo chuckled, and helped the boy to his feet. He looked about twelve, and the tattered remains of a military uniform graced his figure. "Now, come on over before the rest of the ship explodes." The boy frowned at him.

"You're a pirate," he stated. Duo blinked from the bluntness, and finally gave him a strange look.

"Well, yeah," Duo shrugged. "Would you rather we just left you? It'd be a waste, alright, but hey, whatever makes you happy." The boy frowned some more.

"I'll come, but I will not support your actions," the boy said, and Duo was almost tempted to punch the pompous bastard.

"Whatever. I saved your life, so get," Duo said, and helped him across to the pirate ship. "Name's Duo Maxwell! Over there's Cap'n Solo, my big bro." The boy looked at the two doubtfully.

"You two aren't related," he stated, and Duo gave him a hurt look.

"Well, gee, thanks for rubbing it in," Duo grumbled, and Solo walked over.

"Welcome aboard. I assume First Mate Duo clarified things to you?" The boy gaped at Duo.

"FIRST MATE?! He's got to be ten years old," he said incredulously.

"And he's been on my ship for four years. He's eleven, and my little brother," Solo stated. "Now, ya stayin' or what?" The boy blinked at the momentary lapse in grammar.

"Hey, we introduced ourselves," Duo said, crossing his arms. "Duo, Solo...angry, muttering boy..."

"Chang Wufei," the boy finally said, and both Duo and Solo slung an arm around him.

"Welcome to pirate land," Duo said cheerily, and Wufei frowned, black eyes almost slits now, as the two siblings started laughing.

"I have a feeling I'll regret not dying..."

X----X

"Ohhhh, Wuuuuuflllessssss," Duo's sing-song voice wafted through the air, and Wufei visibly cringed. "C'mon, 'Fei! We got the day off!" Wufei frowned at the braided boy.

"You're twelve years old, and live on this ship. With _me_. What could you do on a day off," Wufei demanded, and Duo shrugged with a smile.

"Go to the orphanage," he stated, and Wufei's face was immediately blank. "Oh. You too?" Wufei nodded, and Duo slung an arm around him. "No worries! Solo'n me are orphans too! We're all one happy family!" Wufei smirked.

"Dysfunctional, but happy." Duo grinned.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it! It's the crazy that makes it fun," he said, and turned his head to the grumpy blonde man at the helm. "Oh, Sooolooo! We're going out to pillage!"

"Finally! Wouldn't know what to do with a ..." he trailed off into muttering, just like any other time his younger 'siblings' went into town. He constantly fretted about their safety, although he passed it off as being an angry teenager stuck chaperoning pre-teens. "We're off at three!" Both nodded. Of course, Solo meant three am. No decent pirate left before midnight. Well, decent pirates didn't really exist, but hey.

Duo grabbed Wufei's hand, and pulled him into the crowded dock. Occasionally the enthusiastic twelve-year-old would point at something, explain it, and move on, but Wufei wasn't really paying attention any more. He was just enjoying the feel of land under his feet and watching Duo's braid whack people accidentally as he bounced up and down.

"And this is where Solo threatened to kill me if I ever ate so many cupcakes at the same time again," Duo yelled, pointing to a baker that visibly shuddered at the sight of Duo. "He was sooo maad...It was great! And then, over here's whe-" The violet-eyed boy was cut off by a boy slamming into him.

Wufei instinctively grabbed his shirt, only to stare into very angry, very feminine dark blue eyes.

"Get out of my way," she yelled, but Duo was already bristling.

"Like you have any right to boss me around, missy! Bumping into me for no reason...sheesh! Back in my day, kids had more respect," Duo began, but the girl had to stop and get off the floor she was laughing so hard.

"You...you're only a little kid-! Bahahahah! Talkin' like an old guy! Ha-HAHAahahahah," she said, and Wufei had to catch her when she fell down again, laughing so hard. Duo, however was busy blushing.

"Like you're one to talk, miss wearing-a-corset-for-no-reason," he grumbled, and the laughter was immediately over.

"That was harsh," she stated.

"It was supposed to be, you...! You...! STUFFER," Duo yelled, and the girl gasped.

"You listen here, Mr. Acting-So-Old! I do NOT stuff! I ENHANCE," she yelled. "Oooh, boy, you're gonna wish you'd never messed with Hilde Schbeiker!" Duo smirked.

"Heh. Oh, yeah. I'm real scared. What you gonna do, go tell your parents and get me...what," Duo asked at the downright seething glare he was receiving.

"You know damn well I don't have any parents," Hilde snarled, and Duo's face immediately softened.

"Geez, sorry, beautiful," Duo muttered. "I didn't know. Us too." She looked doubtfully at the two boys. "Hey! Why don't you come meet out brother? He'd love ya!" The girl shook her head, looking down.

"No. I gotta get going; see you around?"

"We're leaving tonight," Wufei reminded Duo, who nodded.

"Yeah, I know. Hey! Tell you what! Consider yourself part of our family! Solo, Duo, Wufei, and Hilde," Duo said, slinging an arm around the girl's shoulders. "I'll come find ya some time, okay? We'll go have---OOO! Bread! You know, the just-cooked kind that gets all toasty when you bake it, and then it's fluffy, but crunchy? Mmmmm..." Even Wufei was close to drooling.

"I like that idea right now," he said, and the three ran over to the panicked baker, who screamed at the sight of three hungry pre-teens swarming his cart.

X----X

"GOD, Duo, you can't just keep adopting people," Solo yelled, and Duo did his best at looking meek in the corner. "Did you even check to see if he's in the military? Or ANYTHING?"

"We lost SEVEN PEOPLE," Duo yelled back finally. "He can sail! He's good; DAMN good, as we've both seen!"

"DUO! Do you NOT understand he could have KILLED you?! God, Duo! Just listen to yourself! He can't be seven people, no matter how good he is," Solo yelled back. "He might have killed you!"

"What, and you're different," Duo snarled, violet eyes fiery as Solo's brown widened. "Yeah, I know it was you guys! I KNOW! I know you killed them! I FUCKING KNOW YOU KILLED ME!" Solo let his hair get in his eyes, but Duo brushed it away. "Damn it, Solo! I KNEW, and I'm. Still. HERE."

"Duo...I..." Duo cut his adopted brother off with a wave of his hand.

"Just don't even try any more. Like you're one to talk about adopting people. I thought you'd understand, damn it! You adopted ME, for crying out loud! What's the difference between a homeless orphan, and a homeless acrobat," Duo asked, and Solo's brown eyes met his fiercely.

"Try about ten years, and a whole lot of guilt," Solo snapped, and walked out the cabin door, slamming it behind him.

X----X

"We're coming up on a ship," Duo yelled down, directing it meaningfully at Wufei, who rolled his eyes. The two brothers hadn't been speaking for a month now, and it was about ready to drive the whole crew insane. "Merchantman." Duo smirked. "It's the _Redwater_, all right."

Solo nodded. "Wufei, Prepare the ram," he muttered, and Wufei did as he was told. Finally, his brown eyes snapped back up to Duo. "Duo, get your ass down here. No tricks today." Violet eyes burned at him.

"Yes, Captain Solo," Duo stated, and rappelled back down to the deck, tossing the spyglass to Trowa, who climbed up after him. "So, what do you want me to do, O wise leader?" Solo glared at him.

"Cut the shit, and guard my back," he finally said. Duo saw straight through that, though. Solo always worried about him on the more heavily armed ships; merchantmen usually had five swords a man, at least. The fighting would be fierce.

"I'll be fine," Duo finally said, but Solo's lips quirked into a smile.

"That's what you said last time, right before you nearly drowned."

"Heeey, I was just a kid!"

"You're thirteen. You're still a kid."

Duo pouted. "Nobody loves me!"

Solo pulled his younger brother into a hug, catching Duo off guard. Solo never hugged _anybody_. Sure, he'd carry you and sling an arm 'round you whenever he wanted, but hugging?

"Be careful, okay," Solo whispered, and Duo hugged his guardian tight.

"Awww, don't worry 'bout it, So," he said. "We've done this lots before. And come on! We're Solo and Duo! Nothing can take us!" Solo chuckled softly.

"Just...just don't be an idiot for once, alright? And I really am sorry...for, you know..."

Duo was silent.

"Hey, c'mon, Shinigami," Solo said, and let go, ruffling his younger brother's hair. "No need to get all mushy on me. Wufei?"

"MUSHY?! Where the hell have you been the past three minutes, Mr. Tender Embrace? Now, let's go kick some ship a-hey! Fei," Duo began to yell as his best friend grabbed him and shoved him into Solo's room. "Wufei! Put me down!"

"We already discussed this, Duo," Wufei said, and grabbed some rope. "It's safest; Solo and I knew as soon as we saw the _Redwater_, this would be happening."

"Well, why the FUCK don't you let me go out and fight, damn it?! Get that th-mmmghph," Duo yelled, and Wufei put the gag in. "MMMMMRRRGGFFFFF!!!"

"Duo, we love you. That's why you're tied to the bed. Trowa and I will look after him, I promise," Wufei said, and after a moment of hesitation kissed him gently on the forehead. "I'll be back."

"MRRRFFFFFF," Duo yelled, but Wufei was too good at those damn knots.

As soon as their ship crashed into the _Redwater_, Duo was knocked unconscious.

X----X

"Duo! Come on, already! I don't want to be the only one crying," Hilde was moping again, and Duo was right along with her.

"I can't believe it's been three years," Duo whispered, hugging his adopted sister close.

"Hey, hey, it's alright," Hilde whispered. "I'm sure he's still watching you."

"I didn't even get to say goodbye. They all just...die," Duo said, crinkling the paper in his hand further as the _Deathscythe _rolled through the waves that had once been home to the Battle of _Redwater, _the only battle Captain Solo, the infamous pirate, had ever lost. And it had cost him his life. "I could have helped..."

"No you couldn't," Wufei muttered, standing a respectful five feet away from the siblings. "I tied you up, and would have kept you out no matter what." Duo nodded, numb.

"Not everyone's dead," Trowa added. "You've got us." The three nodded, and Duo gave them a tired smile.

"Thanks, guys. Now let's get out of this weather; I have a bad feeling about this storm," he said, and Hilde giggled.

"I'm going to stand right on the rail, just because you said that," she muttered. Duo grinned.

"And I'll laugh when you fall in," he said. "Unless you're drowning; then I'd probably jump in and die, too."

"Damn it, Maxwell! You're morbid enough already; let's not bring Hilde into it," Wufei grumbled, and Duo couldn't help but ruffle his hair.

"Awww, you really care," he said, but there was that momentary dim in his black eyes. They both knew it was over. "Alright, I'm done." Duo threw the crinkled piece of paper into the rolling waves, along with one silver coin.

"I was wondering how long the flotilla would be staying in one place," Hilde murmured. Duo just grinned, basking in his friend's company, and the company of his four pirate ships.

"Well, I've never been one to keep fate waiting," Duo sighed, and the four migrated to their posts as the wind picked up.

-X----X-

A/N: Bad ending, I know. But, look! Reader responses!

Shinigami88220: Ummm...okay then...Glad you like the story!

Mistress Koishii: YOU ROCK! Yaay! Beta! Anyway, the name's gonna be clarified Ch. 10. Big, long paragraph about the Mythology of Atropos. Spiffy, ne?

Myca/Taylor Mercury: Keen, eh? Yeah, I've never been one to go for the predictable route...You just wait for this one thing that's gonna happen! HA! I'm so excited...(BTW, Quatre WILL be appearing in a pirate hat! I agree; that'd be SO CUTE!!)

Mlaine: Beta! YAAY! Umm...Duo's the prince...? Oh well! Glad you loved the chapter! Same birthday as your little brother? COOL!

Windy River: As always, I try.

SnakeMistress: (bows) Thank you, thank you...

Meliza Mac: Very, very true. I'd never thought of it that way...Pirate, prince. Pirate, prince. Hmm...It's funny you should bring up the engagement. That's next chapter!

Hikaru: Sorry, but no. I wish Heero was his first, but...to put it politely, 'things happen'. I mean, it's a fact Duo had a pretty bad childhood; I'm figuring there's no chance he'd be able to make it to 17 as a virgin, as depressing as that sounds. And oh yes, 1x2 action is DEFINITELY coming up soon. I'm an addict.

Camlillian: You know, Trowa's job was actually thought up out of the blue. I had no idea what to make him.

TrenchcoatMan: The spoiler I referred to would NOT have revealed who the prince was. I mean, come on, how would Duo know anyway unless he remembered the moment he was born and shipped off? But, hey, I forgive your momentary absentmindedness. It's understandable; I probably should have explained...or not...Oh well! Duo Special! Yay!

Spellhorn: YAY! I concur with your exuberance upon the return of Hilde/Atropos. She's my favorite girl in GW, after Une. Bipolar people are just fun. Plus, she almost blew up Relena! Hooray!

See? Don't you love me now? Okay...now that that's over...

THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!!! 75 special still in place...So, if you review (HINT HINT), please choose between Wufei, Quatre and Heero. Thanks much!


	12. The Betrothed

A/N: Chapter 10! Oooo, we get to Relena, and more prince fun, and even more Atropos! Hooray! Alright, it's time for a little bitty Mythology of Atropos lesson, since a few people asked about that. And, BTW, next special will be a bit late, 'cuz I wanna work on my new story, which won't be coming out for QUITE some time. ...Sorry...ANYWAY...

MYTHOLOGY OF ATROPOS:

According to Ancient Greece, there were three goddesses known as the Fates. Contrary to popular belief, Hades was not the god of death, but the god of the underworld. The Fates controlled human life. First, there was Clotho, the one who spun the thread of Life. Then, there was Lachesis, who measured the strand of Life. And then, we get to the coolest Fate, Atropos, who finally cut the strand. She was the inevitable demise, and although the Fates were commonly portrayed as unfeeling hags, there are a few myths about them taking pity on the dead, or those about to die. Atropos used magical scissors that could even cut a god's thread of life. So, if you think about it, Atropos was the most powerful thing in the ancient greek pantheon, although the Fates kept aloof from the regular gods. (And who can blame them? I wouldn't want Zeus chasing after me all day. I mean, the guy would probably sleep with an anvil if it was immortal...) Anyway, if you've ever watched Gargoyles, the three weird sisters are the Fates. But, obviously with some non-cartoony differences. And don't even bring up the Disney cartoon Hercules...(shiver). SO wrong.

(And why do I know all this? Back in the day, I was a Greek Mythology fan. Now, it's just really, really convenient for background for this lovely little story. Well, okay, maybe it wasn't just back in the day...Alright already! I'm a Ancient Greece nerd! Geez... So, any other questions, feel free to ask via email, or just review and ask. I respond now! Yay.)

WOW was that long, and that's the CONDENSED version... Anyway, on to Chapter 10!

Warnings: See last one. Relena Impaling of Doom, and enough 1x2 fluff to gag your cat.

Disclaimer: See previous 9 chapters and 2 specials.

Sea of Silence

Chapter 10

The Betrothed

"Good morning, sleepyhead," someone said above him, and Duo's eyes twitched, still closed.

"Ugh...Hilde, you would NOT believe the dream I had," Duo muttered, rubbing the back of his head. His violet eyes opened, and concerned, unfamiliar, FEMININE light blue eyes stared back at him. "Yeeagh! Who the HELL are you?!" The girl smiled sweetly.

"My name is Princess Relena, of the neighboring Sanc Kingdom," she said, and curtsied to the new prince. Her long brown-blonde hair was brushing her back that most guys would have found attractive.

"Sorry 'bout the yelling thing, then, miss," Duo said, getting to his feet to notice he was still in the conference room. Everyone else was gone. "Where'd the guys go?" Princess Relena's eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't know, I'm sorry," she said, and curtsied again. Duo was tempted to run while she did; flirting princesses were very, very bad. "Should I inquire?" The door opened.

"Duo, you awa- oh. Hello, miss," Quatre said, smiling at the princess. "My name's Quatre Rabera Winner, how do you do? I assume you've already met my braided friend." She shook her head.

"We were just getting to his introduction. He seemed quite flustered," Relena said.

"Well, no shit. That's what happens when you wake up with a girl in your face," Duo grumbled, plunking down in a nearby chair. "So, what you in here for, anyway?" The girl looked genuinely taken aback.

"Sir, I am a noblewoman, and the crown princess of Sanc! You should respect me," Relena seethed, and Duo laughed. "You...you're LAUGHING at me! I should have you flogged."

"I only respect people who deserve it, you pampered pink pussy," he said, and the girl looked down at her frilly pink ensemble. "Where's Heero?"

"He's coming. He and Wufei went for some water to splash you with," Quatre said, and frowned. "That wasn't a very nice thing to say." Duo shrugged, heading for the door.

"Whatever. I don't lie, and I like it that way," he said cheerily, and walked out the door, happy to miss the princess' screech of irritation.

Duo bounced down the hall. He wanted to go find Heero and take him on their date. He wanted to go get ridiculously drunk and wake up naked in a tree or something equally fun. Finally, he spied his boyfriend by the kitchen, and with a smirk snuck behind the older boy. Wufei was nowhere to be seen; he was probably busy making out with Meiran.

"HEERO," Duo yelled out, and the container of water he'd been filling up sailed into the air as he whirled around to confront the devious Duo. Giggling madly, Duo snatched Heero's head and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "I missed you!" Heero snorted.

"You were out for fifteen minutes," he said, but wasn't about to say anything else. He smirked. It appeared Duo had forgotten the Hilde incident that morning, and Heero much preferred a happy (yet wily) Duo to a pissed-off Duo. "I was almost excited to dump the water on you."

"Are you free right now, or do you have something to do," Duo asked, and Heero shook his head.

"You're my job, remember?"

"Oh yeah...Ooh! Does that mean you have an excuse to sleep with me," Duo asked, but only received a quick "Hn", although an amused-sounding one. "Anyway, I guess that means you're free to go out? As in right now?" Heero frowned.

"You should take it easy," he said. "You just fainted." Duo rolled his eyes.

"Gee, thanks, Mr. Obvious. But seriously, I've been falling unconscious about five times a week since we picked you two up," Duo said, shrugging. "I'm used to it by now. And look! My leg's done healing." He pointed to his right leg, now completely undamaged.

"Very well," Heero said. For a bit, Duo just waited for the blue-eyed boy to continue, but instead the room was silent save the rapid beating of his heart that always came when Heero was in the same room with him.

"Very well what? Very well, let's get going? Or, very well is how your leg's looking? Or, very well, I'll look at your leg," Duo asked. "You can't just say very well and not finish your sentence."

"But that was all I was going to say," Heero said, and Duo slung an arm around him.

"Heero, we need to work on your social skills," Duo said, giving him a teasing kiss on the neck.

"Heero, I-"

Quatre stood in the doorway. Oh, shit. Quatre Rabera Winner stood in the doorway, staring at the two who were still in a rather compromising position. Duo pulled away from Heero's neck, watching the shocked blonde warily.

"Heero, Duo kissed you," Quatre said in confusion, looking utterly perplexed. "Are...are you two..." He trailed off, and finally shook his head. "Anyway, I've been sent down here to tell you that, as the crown prince's bodyguard, you're also his press manager."

"What the hell does that mean," Duo demanded.

"Basically, he's your PR man. Public Relations. For example, tonight there's a ball planned, to introduce the prince to his fiancée and the Algon Ministry," Quatre said, apparently blocking out the sight he'd walked in on. "So, my advice would be for you two to get planning Duo's speech." Both boys gaped at him.

"SPEECH?! What shit is that? I'm not giving a speech," Duo began, but Heero slammed a hand over his mouth to successfully stop a rant.

"I wasn't trained for PR," Heero said flatly, and Quatre shrugged.

"Trowa wasn't trained for Economic Advisor, either, and I'm pretty sure Duo wasn't trained to be a prince," he said, and rubbed the back of his neck. He seemed stressed.

Suddenly, Duo stirred beneath Heero's hands, his eyes getting very, very wide. Heero's hand fell, to reveal Duo's gaping mouth.

"Oh shit. What did you say about a fiancée," Duo whimpered, seemingly shrinking two feet. Quatre shrugged.

"The Crown Prince of Algon has been promised to the Princess of Sanc since birth," he said. "It's supposed to be the treaty that stops the war finally. The two have been fighting for almost twenty years now, even though neither side can remember why exactly." Heero scowled at the kitchen's large counter.

"Well, get me out of the damn thing! I don't want to marry any princess," Duo yelled, growing desperate. Quatre looked at him sympathetically.

"Duo, it's your duty now." Duo's violet eyes burned intensely.

"Who ever said I was accepting the crown," he snarled. "I'm a PIRATE, Quatre! Not some goddamned stuff-shirted noble screwed over since birth to marry a pink marshmallow! I'd rather kill myself than be betrothed to her!" A voice in the doorway snorted.

"That's not saying much," Wufei said, strolling into the room. "I remember a lot of colorful moments with knives just a few years back."

"Butt out, Wufei, or it's pain time," Duo snapped. "I don't care if I sound like some whiny little kid, but I. Won't. Get. Married." Quatre just shrugged.

"Well, you haven't even spoken with her very long," he said. "Maybe you'd grow on each other."

"Anyway, I kind of consider myself taken," Duo said, and grabbed the still-shocked Heero's arm possessively.

"...oh shit," Wufei muttered, and walked out the door.

"Well, at least go to the ball tonight," Quatre suggested. "You don't have to stay very long; you just make an appearance, give a little speech about how you're honored to be their prince, and walk out. Besides, don't you want to meet all the people?" Duo frowned.

"What people?" Quatre sighed.

"The Algon Ministry, of course! With you here, Treize is the new Prime Minister of Algon, and your coronation will be in just a few days, really. They've been planning almost non-stop since your birth," Quatre said. Duo slumped to the floor.

"Well, this just gets better and better," he grumbled. "Why doesn't someone just slice my throat now, and let me bleed to death?"

"Because you have things to do," Heero stated coldly, and Duo looked up at him. He hadn't sounded like that since...well, you know when! He didn't have to remind himself of that particular incident right then.

"What's wrong, Hee-babe," Duo asked, concerned and forgetting Quatre was still in the room.

"My duty is to protect, to kill, and to serve. Above all, safeguard the prince. Above all, place others. Below all, place yourself," Heero recited. If words could be cold, the room was an ice cave. "I am the guardian." Duo stared at him.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said flatly. "There is no way in hell you can take that crap seriously. It's like asking to be maimed."

"Hn," Heero said.

"Duo...just go to the dance tonight," Quatre pleaded. "If you really want, I'll be PR man, if it'll make you go." Duo sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"Fine. Just don't expect me to be happy about the damn thing," Duo said grumpily. Great. Now Wufei was in shock/denial, Quatre was a martyr, and Heero was a robot. Things just got better and better, didn't they? "I'm not giving a speech."

"I guess that's okay," Quatre said apprehensively.

"And I'm wearing all black," Duo stated. Quatre nodded, and Duo glared at him. "And I'm wearing my knives out."

"I...just do what you want, as long as you come," Quatre sighed. "I'll send Trowa to get you from your room." Duo's eyebrows creased.

"My room? Wha-"

Heero scooped him up again, and was carrying him towards...well, Duo didn't know what towards. He'd just woken up, for crying out loud!

"Heero, you okay," Duo asked. He'd been too quiet, even for him.

"...I didn't know you were engaged," he finally said, and Duo snorted.

"Neither did I. But trust me, it'll be temporary, even if I have to kill her to stop it," Duo muttered darkly. "So, how do you know your way around here so well, anyway?" Heero frowned.

"I don't know," he said, and repositioned Duo to open a door.

"Sorry we're gonna have to postpone our date," Duo muttered sheepishly, and Heero put him down. The violet-eyed boy whistled at his surroundings. It was all mahogany and purple, occasional gold drapery across the huge windows. "Damn. Not my style, but certainly snazzy. So, where do you live?" Heero shrugged.

"I don't know," he said, and Duo couldn't help but grin.

"Well, you are my bodyguard, so you have to be close by at all times, right?" Heero nodded. "And you have to be with me whenever it's dangerous, right?" He frowned. He knew where this was going. "Sooooo...wanna live with me?"

"You're engaged," Heero stated, and Duo groaned, rolling his eyes at the older boy.

"Awww, c'mon, Heero! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in luxury with a gorgeous guy who can't get enough of you, and with an excuse as an added bonus!" Heero didn't budge, so the most feared pirate captain in the world resorted to drastic measures and gave him the Sad Puppy-dog Face. "Pweeease, Heewo?"

Against his will, Heero's lips quirked into a smirk. That was just too cute. "You owe me," he said, and Duo threw his arms around him.

"YAAAAY!"

x----x

Atropos gaped at the invitation.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, navy blue eyes moving up to meet Noin's, who shrugged.

"All family members are invited," Noin said, and out of nowhere pulled a green dress out that looked suspiciously like Atropos' size. "And nobody but Zechs and I know your profession, so you're safe in that area. We'll watch your back, anyway." Atropos snorted.

"Right. Because they'll really let a scarred little girl who happens to be an assassin walk straight up to the Crown Prince of Algon and say, 'hiya'," she snapped, tossing her shoulder length ponytail in frustration. Messy bangs still managed to obscure most of her eyes. "God, Noin, I love you and all, but that...that's pushing it." Noin couldn't help but smile a little.

"Dorothy's going to be there," the older woman said innocently, and Atropos' glare could have lit an ice cube on fire. She reluctantly grabbed the dress.

"You SO owe me," Atropos muttered darkly. She HATED green, no matter how much Lucrezia loved the color on her. Noin patted her head like a good big sister.

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," she shrugged, pulling out her own blue dress. "Besides, I actually need you as backup. We've gotten word there's already going to be an attempt on the prince. I figure, fight fire with fire. An assassin with an assassin." Atropos couldn't help but smirk. Gain the trust of her target, and infiltrate the entire inner circle of Algon and Rayth, while getting to kick some overrated assassin's butt? The only downside was the dress, and having to explain to Dorothy why she was wearing it.

"Oh yes, you SO owe me," Atropos muttered, and began to get dressed for the stupid party.

x----x

A/N: YAAAY! Well, I didn't want to put the Relena Destruction in JUST yet, so wait 'till next chapter when monkeys eat her alive. Well, not really, but it'll be amusing yet horrifying. Just like monkeys eating a live, screaming, pink princess. And now, reader responses! Hooray!

Mlaine: Thank you! I've never seen Yami no Matusei. I'm currently a very anime-deprived little girl, what with having anti-anime parents (go figure) and a homophobic dad. Dear god, they'd kill me if they saw what I write...Age? Well, younger than I look and older than I act, which makes me now 17! Yaay!

Myca/Taylor Mercury: If I told you what it was, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? Sheesh...people these days...But OH YES! The hat's coming up, along with...well, let's just say kinky costume party. HA! Soo excited!

TrenchcoatMan: Awww...you like me! I feel loved. And, believe it or not (don't tell anyone), the prince was Trowa until about chapter 3 or so...eheheh...And I was going to do the Hilde Dissapearance Act, but I didn't have time.

Windy River: Hmmm...Wufei? We'll see. I have a tie between him & Quatre, so...hmm...

Mistress Koishii: OH! You wouldn't believe that this whole dang story came from me giggling for, like, half an hour when my brother started talking about Captain Solo. And then, plot bunnies attacked. Rabid plot bunnies. Scary...

Hikaru: I'm thinking of joining 1x2 Addicts Anonymous. But, that's always made me wonder. Why is it Alcoholics Anonymous, when you stand up for the world to see and say, "Hi, my name's Bob, and I'm an alcoholic." That's not very Anonymous, now is it? Well, now I'm rambling, so...me too. I just love 1x2! They're so cute!

Well, thanks for reading! Please review, and vote for next special. Right now, we have a tie for Wufei and Quatre, since...only two people have said which they want...


	13. SPECIAL! Quatre

A/N: Welcome, welcome, welcome to the much-procrastinated Quatre Special! Now, if there was one special that had an immense number of spoilers (most of the Duo spoilers had already happened), it would be this one. See, if you'll notice, I kind of have these timed...right? Right. See, if I'd done the Duo special before we met Atropos, you guys would have been all knowledgeable and stuff 'aforehand. This one will be like that, although you have to read into it more. Anyway!

OH! Also, just so nobody gets confused in the future, here's a handy dandy list of everyone's tattoos and powers! I even used bold! Hopefully this clears it up for you guys.

**Heero**- Omega, the sign of Ending. Stops time for exactly 5 minutes via self-mutilation.

**Duo**- Phi, the letter of wind and death. Projects pain onto others.

**Trowa**- Gamma, the New Three. Triplication of all organic matter.

**Quatre**- Sigma, the Soul. Empathic and (Ex-)telekinetic. (As you'll see here).

**Wufei**- Pi, the sign of War. Impenetrable skin.

Warnings: Pissy/Scary Quatre, the normal stuff, and...spoilers? That's about it, I guess.

Disclaimer: I don't own the boys.

Sea of Silence

SPECIAL 3

Quatre

x---x

"_We've been pressured all our lives. Both of us are very good fighters, but I'm also politically inclined, so I learned all sorts of business things and useless diplomatic devices," Quatre said. _

x---x

"You ever wonder why the sun keeps going around," the blonde boy asked, examining the red dawn. "I do. It seems strange, that it comes back every day." The man snorted, shoving another book at the young man.

"If the sun didn't come back up, there wouldn't be a day," he said smugly. "Stop stalling, and get to your work." His clear blue eyes hardened.

"It would be wiser of you to have more tact," the seven-year-old said calmly. The man found himself sweating.

They'd all heard stories. Every single one of the tutors. Some said the boy was a demon, with a shadow child in the same room. Others said he could squish you with just a thought. But, they all agreed on one thing.

He knew when you were afraid.

The boy smirked. "As I was saying, the sun seems very repetitive. Doesn't it ever get bored, and go the other way?" The tutor wiped a hand across his forehead.

"Master Winner...the sun is not alive," he tried to explain. "It revolves around the earth, and gives us life. The sun can't get bored, because it doesn't think." The tutor swallowed nervously. "Now, Master Winner, please go back to your studies." One disdainful gaze, and the boy picked up his pencil.

"I am still quite displeased with your behavior," the boy began, and flipped a page in his book. He scribbled some more. "If you treat the other boys like this-" Those sky blue eyes immediately flicked up to the tutor's brown. The tutor was sweating, terrified, and the boy knew it.

"Please, sir," the tutor said.

"You do not teach the other boys, do you," Master Winner whispered, and stood up from the table. "None of you do." The tutor whimpered as the boy's chair pushed itself back beneath the table.

Boots stomped against the floor, and the boy glared at the three men who entered. Each was wearing a red coat.

"Mr. Winner, please calm down," the leader snapped. His station was designated by the thin gold cord along his shoulders. "Quatre! For god's sake, boy, get a hold of yourself." The boy's clear blue eyes just kept glaring.

"You're going to die slowly and painfully," he stated, and the seven-year-old boy walked himself out of the room, the red-coated men flanking him. "Both you, and the tutor. Have a good day, gentlemen." The door slammed shut.

x---x

"Master Quatre, please try to avoid scaring the teachers," another guard was saying, but the nine-year-old just looked at them blandly. Heero, in the background, was snickering silently.

"Is it my fault they're all cowards," Quatre demanded, still lounging in the hard wooden chair. Heero stood in the corner, at attention as always. "It seems to me, you need to find a tutor with actual courage. If they're scared by just a table floating in the air, what would they think if they stumbled upon our dueling practice?" The guard nodded, apprehensive.

"But, sir-" he began, but the boy cut him off with an upraised finger.

"Do not presume too much," he said coldly. "It could be your last mistake." The guard looked pleadingly at the silent ten-year-old in the corner. "He won't help you. Not unless I tell him to. Now, we're going on a walk. Good day." Quatre stood up gracefully, and walked out the door, Heero at his heels in a loose shirt and brown pants.

"You're scary sometimes," he said, shaking his head, and Quatre smiled at his near-brother.

"Only when I have to be." Heero snorted.

"Which is almost always," he muttered, and the rest of the walk was in silence. They walked out of the keep's three-story beige walls silent save the constant muted clanking of Heero's sheathed sword against his hip. They reached a tall rock, and climbed it easily.

"Where to today," Quatre asked brightly, and Heero shrugged. "There's something going on down to the southwest. Let's check it out." Quatre pointed to the shape pushing through the nearby forest, and Heero nodded, hopping down the twenty-five feet easily.

Within thirty feet of the shape, the two boys could tell it was an injured man. He'd made a small shelter from fallen branches, and was huddled within, a drab blanket over his shoulders. Heero looked over at Quatre, and his hands moved silently in a basic form of sign language. I kill?

Quatre shook his head. No. I talk Heero frowned.

No you talk. Danger Quatre rolled his eyes, and Heero glared at him. Idiot Quatre shrugged, and walked forward, making as much noise as possible without attracting suspicion.

"Excuse me, sir," Quatre began, but a dagger whistled towards his head. Without a second thought, he stopped it with his mind and grabbed the hilt. The blonde boy frowned. "That wasn't very nice." The man inside gaped at him.

"What ARE you," he whispered, a tinge of fear pouring off him, and Quatre sighed. Everyone always asked the same thing. No creativity.

"I'm a boy concerned about you," he said, forcing a smile. Honestly, he couldn't care less. He was just really bored. "I spotted you from up the hill a ways, and was wondering how I could help you." While he spoke, his hands signed to Heero. No danger. You guard. The other boy slunk away to watch the perimeter while the man frowned.

"Such compassion from a young boy," the man mused, and came out of the tent. All fear was gone, and Quatre couldn't help but be impressed. The man had to be over six feet tall, and had brown hair that seemed to spike on its own. "My name is Rashid, master." He bowed respectfully, and Quatre couldn't help but frown. "I have been sent to find you."

"...what? To find me," Quatre asked, and the man nodded. In his head, the blonde cursed. He wasn't sick at all.

"Yes. Nine years ago, our leader was killed. We have finally traced his reincarnation to here, and I truly believe that reincarnation is you," Rashid began, and pulled a bag out of the shelter. "He would have been compassionate to a fault, strangely knowledgeable in all things, and utterly fearless. Also, he promised to come back stronger than ever before." Quatre barely avoided rolling his eyes. Great. Now he was stuck in some mystic reincarnated leader myth.

"I'm sorry, but I believe you have the wrong boy," Quatre said, and Heero barely appeared in the corner of his right eye. Instinctively, his hands flicked again. No danger. He saw no response, but knew the older boy was around somewhere. Rashid shook his head.

"You may not believe it, Master, but I'm sure of it," Rashid said. "He even had your eyes." Now, Quatre glared at him.

"I am Quatre Winner, the last heir of the Winner legacy," he said, almost haughtily. "My eyes are my mother's, not your leaders."

"Master Quatre, some day you will realize the truth," he said, giving another bow. "My tribe, the Manganacs, will be waiting for your return. We reside in the desert to the south, and shall forever be at your disposal."

Quatre had had enough. Come. Heero immediately stepped into the tiny clearing, looking like a sadistic ten-year-old who could kill you in one move. Which, of course, he was. Rashid, however, just packed up and began to head south, only hesitating to pull something from around his neck.

"This is the emblem of my tribe," he said, and threw a chain with a miniature scimitar pendant down onto the ground near Quatre's feet. Another bow bent the tall figure. "My blessings, Master Sandrock." Rashid walked off, and Quatre pulled the necklace from the ground. Heero stepped forward.

"What was that about," he asked, and Quatre frowned. He quickly put the chain around his neck.

"I...I have NO idea."

x---x

He was woken up by the crashing of his window, and immediately the twelve-year-old sprung out of bed, willing his sword into his hand. He felt no fear, so that meant one person.

"Heero," Quatre said flatly, and the darker head nodded.

"We're leaving," he stated. Quatre nodded now.

Plan started? Quatre reverted to sign, getting dressed quickly as he watched the bloody boy's response. Heero's eyes glinted.

Yes. Speed he flicked back, and Quatre tried to hurry up more. He slung on his cloak, and just at that moment his door flung open.

The Mage stood there, looking extremely indifferent in his red robes as he examined the two boys. "If you kill me, you'll never have your powers again," he stated. Heero growled. "You'll never get out of here, without killing me. And you don't dare to do that."

"Try me," Heero said, and without another moment passing a knife had been flung into the robed figure's throat. With one gasp, he fell, blood pooling around his head.

Pain erupted in Quatre's head. Someone was screaming. Someone was yelling, and screaming, and his fingernails were purple. He was gasping, and someone was carrying him, running down the hall. He still held his bag.

"Quatre, stop screaming," Heero said, and Quatre stopped. His fingers clutched the chain beneath his shirt. "I need you to open the gate." He looked at his older brother pitifully.

"He wasn't joking, Heero. It's gone," Quatre whispered, hoarse. Heero frowned.

"Hold on, then," he said, and climbed the steps to the top of the keep. Heero's arms lifted off his body, and a gush of air accompanied the two to the ground as the brown-haired boy pulled a knife out and slashed his own back, a muted scream accompanying it.

When Quatre opened his eyes, Heero was barely holding the younger boy off the ground and seemed ready to pass out. The keep was almost a mile away, and clearly no time had passed.

"I have to stop," Heero whispered, and Quatre immediately hopped out of his arms. Heero fell to the ground, the back of his once-white shirt now covered with the same blood as the front of it.

"I'll wake you in an hour," Quatre said, and the older boy fell unconscious with a pained expression on his face. The blonde pulled him deeper into the woods, and began bandaging his back.

"You know, you probably shouldn't have killed the Mage," Quatre whispered to the other boy, and tied off another strip of cloth. He hated when Heero had to use his power. It was only the third time in his life, true, but each gash left a huge scar. "Now, all I've got is empathy. You knew he was the only thing keeping the telekinesis around." Quatre redressed him in a clean white shirt, putting the cut and bloody other one in the bag.

"So, now we're going to go see the crazy desert people," Quatre mused, finally pulling Heero's face out of the dirt with a chuckle. "You're going to hate the desert. There's even less water than here."

x---x

"Master Sandrock, may I introduce to you the Lady Iria," Rashid intoned, and the fourteen-year-old desert prince looked up at the blonde woman who entered. He frowned.

"Excuse me, but you...you resemble someone," Quatre said, smiling, and motioned for the lady to sit on the cushion next to him. "Welcome to my tent. I am Quatre, and that's Heero." The older boy mentioned stood outside the tent, drilling men far older than him with swords. Lady Iria smiled sweetly at him.

"I'm sorry, but would you happen to be Quatre Winner," she asked, and Quatre poured her a cup of tea, not responding. Quatre felt no apprehension from her, only hope. "I have been searching for Quatre Winner for quite some time."

"And why are you looking for him, if I may ask," Quatre asked. He had been very careful to never mention either Heero's or his own last name since arriving in the desert. Lady Iria's smile turned a shade bitter.

"Because...I am his sister," she said. Quatre barely kept his teacup from falling to the carpets.

"I was under the impression the entire Winner family was massacred during the second invasion of Sanc into Algon," Quatre stammered, and Iria shook her head.

"No. I was seven at the time, and my nanny and I escaped into Rayth," she exclaimed, barely keeping her excitement at check. "However, he is the only surviving heir. The entire Winner fortune would go to him, including the seat in the Ministry of Algon." Quatre smiled at her.

"Well, I'll be sure to not go to Algon, then."

x---x

A/N: That's all. Not much, but the basic basics. You get that he was creepy, right? Yeah. Quatre was creepy. So! Sorry this one's short and not too good, and ends badly, and didn't do any good explaining. That'll be the Heero special. This one's kind of a 'teaser' Heero special...but now I feel bad about doing that to my poor widdle Quatre...

Dang.

Alrighty, well, Chapter 11's coming soon! And now, look! RESPONSES!

Myca: Well, it's better to have a thing for hats than...what I've got. Costume party's going to be about Ch. 13 or so, just for your information. And I CAN'T imagine Duo and Relena as a couple, which is why they ARE the couple. Weird? Yes. Fun? OH YES.

TKM: Thank you! You're so nice! I thought it was funny, too.

Rekkaboziegirl: You're back! Yay! Sorry it's not your special, though...Next one will probably be Heero, though.

Hikaru: Honestly, I'd be creeped out by monkeys eating ANYONE alive. Well, monkeys just flat out creep me out. I mean, thumbs on FEET?! AAAH! (Hides in corner) Don't worry, 1x2's coming up.

Mlaine: WOW that's freaky! Maybe I'M your brother! Wait. Never mind...not a boy...eheheh...I'm gonna go bang my head against a wall...

Windy River: I try. I really, really do.

Miaka Kennyuuki: Oh yay! Someone thinks Quatre's canon! He's the one character I'm trying to keep as in-character as possible. Oh, you're catching on to all the secrets! You sneaky reader, you. =D

Meliza Mac: Ha! Isn't it true? Relena loves Heero but is engaged to Duo, Duo loves Heero but is engaged to Relena, and Heero just wants to kill the pink thing! Now that's a very lopsided triange, ne?

TrenchcoatMan: See, I figure, it's cliché because it's fun! I'm excited to write the big dance scene. See, I just kept seeing Trowa blushing insanely while Relena draped herself all over him...hehehe...I might make her do it anyway, just to give Quatre a chance to beat her up.

Gundam06serenity: I hope my handy-dandy chartie thing at the top helps you out. And it's supposed to be a tad bit confusing. Thanks for liking my story!

Duo-Maxwell5x2: AWARD?! Woo! Maybe slow, but not time. Before, in my days of being ever so naïve concerning the wonderful thing of yaoi, I actually was a (GASP!) 1xR writer. Scary. And yep, specials for ALL! Hooray.

Thanks to all! Please review; and, next special at 100, surprise surprise. And, yes, it'll still be an Uber-Special (IE almost 10 pages...eheheh...) I have rabid plot bunnies invading my brain. If it weren't for school, parents, homework, and that damned need for sleep, I'd be writing full-time.

OH! Also, I hereby accept flames. I'm ready to verbally berate you until you cry, and your mommy comes in, reads what's on the screen, and grounds you for reading "gay porn", as my friend says. (Via E-mail, of course. I'm not sullying my story.)


	14. The Dance

A/N: Chapter 11?! And I'm on Entry 14 on the lil' chapter counter thingy. Hmmm...might have to change that. So! We get to the dance now! Woohoo! I have to say, I've been looking forward to this for a loooong time. And, since 100 reviews is coming up pretty dang fast, I'll tell you right now that the final special will be at 150. If that'll ever happen. Why? I still love you guys and all, but specials, chapters, AND all my other non-put up stories? Consider me in a boggy area.

Warnings: Yet again, profanity, yaoi and I guess it's _kind_ of yuri, as we'll see, 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xMeiran, fluff, little bit of OOC, Extreme AU, mild Relena Bashing (but not for long, I'm afraid), and citrus hinting (well, I guess it'd be a mini-lime, but hey, I'm not really worried about classifying it.)

Disclaimer: (Sigh) Guess what? They aren't mine. I know, I've been telling you all this time that yes, I owned them, but it turns out I don't. Color me surprised.

So, consider this my last disclaimer, and my last General Warnings. From now on, warnings will be only what is in a graphic nature (IE violence, citrus, Extended Semi-Boring Plotness; you get the idea).

Sea of Silence

Chapter 11

The Dance

x---x

Dorothy Catalonia sat regally in the cushioned red chair, silky hair draped casually over her shoulders. Tonight, she wore a simple burgundy dress. Of course, her rapier hung at her hip. Any self-respecting bodyguard would have their weapon in reach at all times.

"Dorothy, does this dress make me look fat," Princess Relena of Sanc asked, twirling in front of the mirror. Her bodyguard couldn't help but grimace. She looked like a pink bar of soap with someone's head stapled on top.

"Yes," Dorothy said, and Relena's shoulders slumped.

"But, that's the last pink dress I have," she pouted. Dorothy rolled her eyes, and stood up.

"Thank god. Try on a different color for onceâ€what," Dorothy asked. Relena was giving her a very sneaky, appraising look, and the other girl couldn't help but swallow. There was only one time to fear Relena, and that was when she actually looked like royalty.

"I can't help but notice you're wearing an actual color," Relena said coyly, and Dorothy clenched her teeth. It was true, she was normally found in black, white, or a shade in between, but was burgundy such a difference?

"I felt like a change," she said proudly. Dorothy Catalonia never had to explain herself. But, Relena smiled.

"You mean, you felt like looking pretty," she corrected. As true as it was, Dorothy strode over to the closet and pulled out a sky blue dress, throwing it to the princess.

"If you feel like looking pretty, that's your own business," she said, and sat back down in the comfortable red chair. Honestly, the shoes were killing her feet. It had been stupid of her to ask Relena for "matching" shoes. She'd never known matching meant straps all the way to your calf and three-inch heels. However, Dorothy would make do, as they were an equal to her dress.

Relena twirled in front of the mirror, and her bodyguard had to admit it looked good. But, the shoes were fuzzy blue slippers. Dorothy grimaced. Not only did they NOT match, it made her want to stab her feet. They were hideous.

"Change the shoes, and you're good," Dorothy stated. Relena frowned, but returned in plain, yet elegant matching heels. "Now let's get going." Relena giggled, and Dorothy shuddered. Relena giggling was just scary.

"You're really excited, aren't you? Who is he," the seventeen-year-old asked, bouncing down onto the horrific pink bed. Dorothy glared at her.

"We're going. NOW," she snapped, and the princess finally stood up and, sulking, walked out the door with her bodyguard in tow.

x---x

"Duo, we have to get out of bed," Heero grumbled, and the braided menace smirked. "Just untie me?"

"Now why would I do that? Come on, you know they put scarves in here for a reason," Duo demanded, and Heero sighed. Where was an invading Quatre when you needed him?

Well, not that Heero really wanted the blonde to come in. Nobody would want to be seen tied naked with a scarf to a headboard with their torso half-covered with melting ice.

"Trowa's going to be here in a few-stop that!" Duo looked up innocently, ice cube clutched between his lips. "Trowa's going to be here in a few minutes, and I refuse to be seen tied to a headboard." Chuckling, Duo untied his bodyguard.

"You're no fun," he pouted. "It's funny you're just fine with the ice, though. And being naked in my bed. But nooo, you can't be tied up. You have some freaky priorities, babe." In a quick motion, Duo transferred the ice cube into Heero's mouth. Orally, of course. "I'm going to go get dressed. You just lay there and melt." Heero rolled his eyes, and the chuckling Duo walked into the separate room entirely filled with clothes made especially for him.

Half of it was black, and the other half was most likely never to be worn. The braided boy pulled out a random black pair of pants, a random black shirt (which, he noted, had shiny buttons), and a floor-length black coat (also with shiny silver buttons). They were all the rage in Algon, and Duo was figuring he might as well fit in with the people he was supposed to rule.

That thought made him shudder, and he walked into the bathroom. Miraculously, there was hot water waiting for him in the huge bathtub. The pirate couldn't help but be impressed. With a contented sigh, he drifted further down into the water, until his head was completely submerged.

Someone yanked his head sharply out of the water, and Duo was glaring at Heero again.

"What the hell was that for," Duo yelled, and Heero (whose chest was still damp, he noted) smirked.

"It's my job to protect you. You could have drowned," he said, and before Duo could start arguing again, Heero smoothly kissed his train of thoughts off the track. He then slipped into the water, and Duo was silently cursing his inability to stay mad at the boy. "Water's warm." Duo nodded, yet again enjoying the heat.

"It's like a mini Mr. Steamy. I hope the island is doing okay. The guys too. Not to mention my poor ship," he chuckled, eyes closed. They quickly shot open when Heero started nibbling on his ear. "Ah! Um, so-"

"Duo."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

x---x

The room was, to say the least, fancy. Red curtains adorned the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a chandelier the size of a rowboat hung from the ceiling, decked in diamond glass. The floor was black and white marble in an intricate swirling pattern, and the walls were a deep mahogany.

For the ball, half the floor was left exposed and shining, while the other half (which framed the dance floor) was full of orderly tables, chairs, and occasional chaises. At the back of the room, furthest away from the double doors that served as a main entrance, sat three chairs: A black armchair, a white armchair on the black's left, and a red armchair to the right.

Duo eyed the room suspiciously, and Heero seemed to agree whole-heartedly.

"It's too exposed. If, like you say, someone's going to try and kill him, he shouldn't have his back to windows," Heero said grumpily. Duo couldn't help but grin whenever he saw him, though; he was wearing almost the same thing as the heir of Algon, save white with shiny gold buttons, as opposed to Duo's black and silver. Normally, Heero looked good enough to eat (Duo smirked a bit), but now he looked just downright untouchably fine.

"Sir, it's the only placement we've ever used," the lord in charge of preparations, said taken aback.

"It's fine," Duo put in, grabbing his bodyguard's arm. "Who do you think I am, _Relena_? I'll be fine. I mean, let's not forget my, ah, previous line of work. I could kill anyone in three moves." Heero smirked.

"Sure you could," he said, and walked towards their "Royal" entrance. They had to wait at least an hour before going in, since the guests all had to be there first so Duo could look stylin' upon entry, and be instantly memorable.

"What do you mean, 'sure you could'? Listen, buddy, it was only my leg keeping me from beating you senseless," Duo said, almost accusing in tone. He jabbed a finger into Heero's chest.

"Heero! Duo! Where were you two? You didn't show up for lunch," Quatre approached, looking hurt in an aqua ensemble with beige trim. Trowa walked behind him in dark green and blue. Duo couldn't help but blush, and quickly withdraw his finger. "And then, when Trowa and I went to your room, you weren't there either!"

"We were," Duo began, and cleared his throat. "Ah, we were"

"We were tormenting Wufei," Heero replied smoothly, and Duo's face brightened. That was actually true! They'd caught Wufei and Meiran snuggling in the hall, and of course Duo had had to ruin his life.

"So, what's your protocol," Trowa asked, and Duo shrugged.

"Sit around in here for an hour with Heero, then walk out and look cool, and sit around in the fancy black chair and look cool," Duo shrugged, and then couldn't help but smirk. "Heero has to stand behind my chair." The blue-eyed boy was being a good sport about it, too. Well, as good a sport as Heero Yuy can be.

Said boy crossed his arms. "It's my job," he muttered to himself.

"We have to meet and greet in twenty minutes, along with Wufeiâ€hey, where is Wufei, anyway," Quatre asked, looking around. Their question was answered by a nearby yell.

"WOMAN! Get off me," Wufei yelled.

"STOP CALLING ME WOMAN," Meiran responded. There was the loud crash of a vase against the wall, and Wufei stormed into the room, Meiran not far behind. Meiran was wearing a lovely flowing dress, even though her hair was still in its normal two pigtails, and Wufei was wearing red, although it was only his coat. The rest was a loose pair of white pants and a dark blue shirt.

Wufei scowled at his wife. "Act like a wife for once, and stop jumping me in the halls," he threatened. "Or, I send a letter to your parents finally and tell them we're married!" Meiran gasped.

"You WOULDN'T," she said haughtily. "You don't have the guts!" Wufei smirked, and Meiran glared. "Fine. But you OWE me, Chang."

"Aww, isn't that romantic? They've made up," Quatre whispered to Trowa, who just shook his head. It was going to be a long night.

x---x

Atropos glared. She glared at her sister and Zechs, walking side by side and avoiding each other's eyes. She glared at the clock, which said the whole damn party had started an hour and a half ago. She glared at the guards ogling her. OGLING her! God, she was going to kill something.

And most likely that something would be Noin. She looked great in her dark blue dress, and Zechs looked spectacular in his own outfit, but noooo. She just wouldn't admit they'd been eyeing each other since BIRTH probably, and lord knows how Zechs could do anything about it, the nervous wreck, and Atropos was stuck following them from behind, seeing their awkward glances at each other. When they both accidentally looked at the same time, their heads had swung back faster than lightning. She couldn't help but wonder why they weren't that fast being sensible.

They approached the huge double doors, and (as his rank was higher) Zechs went first. Sure, he was announced, but it was too loud inside for anyone to hear his name yelled out by the crier. So, Atropos followed Noin up to the top of the stairs, where she stood, horrifically uncomfortable in the tight green dress, while they were announced.

"Lieutenant Lucrezia Noin, and Miss Atropos Noin," the crier yelled out boredly. Atropos cringed at her name. They'd actually called her miss. Dorothy would hate her till the end of time.

That thought sent her brain backwards. They'd met amicably, when Lady Une had brought the girl along during a mission request. Of course, Atropos had been dressed in her usual outfit, and she hadn't bothered to correct Dorothy's assumption she was male. Sometimes being flat-chested was great. That had been one of those times.

They'd been friends immediately. The aristocrat seemed absolutely thrilled to know someone without any real interest in politics, and the assassin had been intrigued by the girl's brutal honesty. Hell, Atropos had even done a few jobs for the blonde woman. In return, Dorothy had explained to her the intricacies of the Algon-Sanc war, which most people completely ignored nowadays.

So, they'd started to go out and do things together, like friends do. Go on walks, out to eat, see a play, kill Atropos' targetâ€the usual stuff. Dorothy had never asked for anything, save doing a couple quick and paying jobs, and Atropos had never asked her rank or title. Of course, she'd always been dressed in pants, and Dorothy had never caught on. It had been great.

Then, it happened. Four days ago, Dorothy came to the Noin apartment, muttering about her cousin. That was actually a normal thing; as the resident confidant, Atropos had heard many stories about the manipulative, mysterious cousin. Like usual, Atropos had comforted her friend, taken her out for ice cream, and then they'd talked about it. Dorothy said she was about to rise in power, which Atropos had congratulated her forâ€until the blank look in the girl's blue eyes.

"I don't want to," she'd said, eyebrows creased. "I already hate my rank, and I've honestly been considering asking to be your partner, since we made such a good team." Atropos had nodded. The cleanest and easiest assassination she'd ever done had been with Dorothy as backup. They'd joked about it constantly. "But, I can't. He'll be angry. He wants me to..." Dorothy had started to do the over-swallow that meant any normal girl would have been sobbing blood.

Atropos had put a hand on her friend's shoulder comfortingly, and smiled. "Hey, you'll be okay. I'll watch your back," she'd reassured, and then the girl had lunged at Atropos' lips with her own.

"Don't lie," she'd whispered, and blushing- BLUSHING! - walked out the door. Dorothy had never blushed. Ever. Not when Atropos had pointed out she'd been sitting in dog poop, not when she'd suggested they spend the night together (platonically!), never.

Then again, she'd probably never kissed a girl dressed as a guy before.

Atropos shook her head to clear her brain finally, and walked down the stairs with Noin. Nobility everywhere stared at her. It was probably the scar. She had a white line that curved from right below her left eye down to her jawline, making almost a half-heart design. It had come from her first real job as an assassin. She'd miscalculated, and barely avoided losing an eye to the man's knife.

A man grabbed her bare elbow, and Atropos whirled to see a shocked-looking boy with black eyes and black hair (and a rather clashing ensemble) staring at her. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't quite explain it.

"Hilde? Is that you," the boy asked, scrunching his eyes as if it would change her face. Atropos gave him a look that said 'you're an idiot, but I'm trying to be polite'. But, before she could tell him how wrong he was, the boy was pulling her through the crowd, towards the three tall chairs. The red one was occupied by a ginger-haired man in dark blue, who had Lady Une standing by his side in a gray dress. The middle chair was empty for the moment, and the white chair to the right held a mostly-blonde woman in a light blue dress, looking as pleasant as possible.

Behind her was Dorothy, looking really, REALLY pretty.

The boy jerked her again. "Come on, Hilde, I need to make sure you're you," the boy said as if it made perfect sense. Atropos glared at him.

"Get off me, you fashionably challenged brat," Atropos yelled, yanking her arm away. "I want to go talk to Dorothy!" The room went silent, only to be interrupted by three simultaneous shouts.

"HILDE!"

"ATROPOS!"

"DIE!!!"

Atropos flew across the room, the boy who had her arm cursing and running after her. Cursing the dress, she pulled out one of her many daggers in transit towards the shattered window behind the black chair. A somehow familiar boy in black was sprawled on the floor bleeding, while a boy in white was both watching him and fending the assassin off.

She frowned. This wasn't an amateur. He'd attacked long before the shout.

People were screaming and running, most of them towards the door. She could see a few trying to make their way to the scene, but Atropos was closest.

She threw the dagger, and it sliced into the hooded man's side. With a muffled yell, he swirled his sword again, but the boy in white took the moment to imbed his own blade firmly in the assassin's ribcage. Blue eyes glinting dangerously, he pulled the bloody sword out and immediately turned back towards the fallen boy.

"ATROPOS," a familiar voice hissed loudly, and she turned around to see Dorothy, thin rapier in hand, glaring at her. "What are you doing in a DRESS? Were you a part of this?" Her dark blue eyes scowled at the blonde.

"Do you really think I'd be in a dress while working," Atropos demanded, and when Dorothy didn't sheathe her weapon, sighed. "Dorothy, I'm a girl. You never asked, so I didn't say anything." The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, I couldn't guess from THAT," she said, gesturing to the annoyingly low neckline of Noin's chosen garment.

"Dorothy, help me," a pitiful voice whimpered, and the other girl quickly scrambled across to the white chair.

"Atropos," the boy in white said clearly, and she turned, thankful her hair was up in a small bun tonight. He held the boy in black in his arms protectively. "Goddess of death. Interesting." She shrugged.

"Well, it's what I am," Atropos said casually, and noticed the boy who had been following her was now busy making out with a girl in a red dress. "He going to be okay?" The boy in white nodded.

"Heero," he said simply, readjusting his grip on the boy who had an astonishing length of braid falling down his back. "I pay my debts. Just look for me, and I'll find you." Atropos nodded, immediately respecting the man. He skipped the pleasantries, and seemed genuinely honorable.

"Oh, Dorothy, it was HORRIBLE," a woman whimpered. The screams had subsided, and almost all of the guests were gone. Zechs and Noin were approaching, and two other boys hurried over. "All that shattered glass."

"Relena, you're okay," Dorothy stated, and Atropos couldn't help but grin. The girl had to be near annoyed to death. "Can you stand up?"

"Atropos! Are you okay," Noin asked quickly, scanning the younger woman's face for any new injury.

"God, Noin, what took you so long," Atropos asked, and noticed her adopted sister tightened up a bit. "Relax, relax, I'm okay. No worries. Just doing what you asked." Noin nodded.

"I wish you weren't so noble sometimes," Noin said, ruffling the girl's hair. "You're going to get yourself killed one of these days."

"Heero! Is he okay," a very fashionable blonde asked. It was obvious why he'd been late; his coat was ripped, and it looked like he'd been nearly trampled. The other boy was the same. Heero nodded.

"He will be. If you'll excuse us," Heero said cordially, bowing his head to Atropos and the others, and walked out the Royal entranceway. The tall boy in green froze at the sight of Atropos.

"Hilde? Is that you," he asked, striding forward, and Atropos sighed.

"What is it with you people and calling me names? I'm not this Hilde person," Atropos snapped. "My name's Atropos. NOT Hilde. God, people nowadays. First the coordination genius, and now a trampled tree." The tall boy smiled.

"I know it's you, Hilde," he shrugged. "Whenever you want to talk, we're always here. I'm Trowa if you can't remember, and this is Quatre." The shorter blonde beamed at her.

"It's an honor to meet you! When you get the pirates to talk about you, they're nonstop," he said confidentially, and Atropos frowned. PIRATES?

"I...I have to go" she muttered, sensing Dorothy's eyes on her back. When she turned, Dorothy stared straight at the assassin, and Atropos couldn't help but feel something foreign clutch her. "I-"

"Attie, don't avoid it," Noin said calmly, but Atropos shook her off.

"NO! I'm NOT HILDE," she screamed, and ran out the door.

The remaining seven stared at each other, but within a moment Dorothy tore after the girl, hiking her burgundy skirts up almost indecently to catch the running woman.

x---x

A/N: OOOO! Cliffhangery! Will Duo survive? (Well duh.) Will Wufei bite Meiran's tongue out? Will Trowa and Quatre EVER have some action? And what's going on with Dorothy and Atropos now? Ohh, this is gonna be gooood!

Well! Let me just take this moment to say this was so late because I got sick AGAIN, and to make up for it this is pretty long, and lots of goodness! Yay.

Rekkaboziegirl: I've always thought Quatre's capable of being really, really creepy, and never innocent. Well, then again, none of them are too innocent. Thanks for reading!

Miaka Kennyuuki: Okay, last response? Kind of got cut apart mid-sentence. Soo, if you were a tad bit confused that's why. And lack of telekinesis? I'll just say it may not be permanent. Muwahahaha!!!

Myca: I'd thought you were always onto my sadistic twist ;) Ugh! Chapters. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Darn. Wow, look! I have such a clean mouth today! Go me.

Mlaine: You ever notice brothers have a bad habit of knowing you too well? Yeah. Mine's onto me. I'm thinking I might have to (ahem) "eliminate" his motives for prying. I love blackmail, don't you?

Windy River: I'm TRYING!!! It never works! Waaah

TrenchcoatMan: Ha. Foreshadowing? Literary devices? ME?? (Innocent look) Nah, I never do that. But oh yeah. Relena vs. Quatre? My money's on Q any day. Scratch her eyes out, and she's down for the count.

Silver Cateyes: I forgive you! I had to go on those once, too! Agh, vacations. You're supposed to enjoy them, but all I end up doing is writing on (gasp!) paper instead of my computer. Then my parents yell at me. It's fun. Glad you're back!

Thank you all so much for reading! And please, review. It means so much to me. No, really.

I'm gonna go watch Kill Bill now. Bye!


	15. The Mist

A/N: Chappie 12! Oooh joy! All right, all right, it's not the Heero Special like you probably wanted, but it's coming, I swear. I just felt kinda bad leaving the last chapter with a cliffhanger. See? Aren't I nice? Well, I'll just say right now that we'll be entering the Colossal Plot. And you thought Uber-Plot was bad. HA! Just wait. You guys are gonna hate me! I'm so excited. :D

And if anyone could possibly think up a description for my story, I'll...umm, well, I guess I could give you guys my magical Quatre picture I drew a while ago (not in the hat). I just have to scan the darn thing...And, I'll tell you right now, I took "artistic liscense"...his hair's really wrong, and he looks rather surfery. Just what I like! Yay.

Non-Standard Warnings: Extreme Confusion, Tear-Jerkiness.

Sea of Silence

Chapter 12

The Mist

x---x

She was shaking. God, was she shaking. Every inch of her quivered. She'd seen people have seizures, mostly from her own doing, but she'd never felt like she was having one before.

She was running, too. Cursing her dress, cursing her shoes, cursing the fact she was close to crying, she darted across Rayth Castle's manicured lawns, past the sleeping Guard, past everything. She ignored the sound of footsteps behind her, and closed her eyes, willing her feet to go where they wanted.

When she opened her eyes, she was looking at the sea, covered with a low, downy blanket of mist. Her hair was coming loose from the bun. There was something so familiar about the water, something that called for her to know the salty oceans like she knew herself.

Atropos laughed harshly. Knew herself? Shit, she didn't know a damn thing about her life. She knew her sister, yes, and Zechs, and even Lady Une a bit. She knew Dorothy. But herself?

She was just a shadow.

The footsteps that had been following her for so long finally caught up with her, and a genuinely pissed-off Dorothy stopped, shaking, in front of the other girl. Her once beautiful burgundy dress was torn; she'd obviously fallen down. But, Atropos knew the bodyguard would never admit it. The blonde girl stepped forward, blue eyes burning.

"Who are you," Dorothy demanded, shoving Atropos' shoulder. "Who are you? Hilde? Atropos? A boy or a girl? What are you?" Her blonde hair was no longer the platinum cascade Atropos admired, and almost grown to love. It was like golden straw now, frazzled and stepped on.

"I don't know," she snapped, and slapped Dorothy, hard, on the cheek. The other girl didn't even flinch. "I'm all of it! I'm none of it! God, why don't you choose and just let me die?" Her best friend grabbed onto Atropos' quivering jaw, and looked forcefully into her eyes. For the first time, she admitted the blonde was taller than she was.

"Those boys know you, and I know you. You can be either. Or..." she drawled, and pulled her hand away. "Or, you can be none. I could kill you. You could kill yourself. We could both die. Neither of us could die. A freaking _asteroid_ could come and hit us right now, and I wouldn't give a shit!" Atropos gaped at her friend. It was the first time she'd ever heard the aristocrat curse.

"Whoa, Dorothy, never knew you for one to start spouting profanities," she laughed. "Reminds me of this one time, when Duo..." The dark-haired girl slumped to the ground, hand shooting straight up to her head without a care for her dress' well being. "I'm so confused. I have all these memories, but...at the same time, I don't. It's like chasing a ripple."

"You'll get past it," Dorothy said with a shrug. "I have to get back to Relena. She's probably annoyed the Castle to suicide by now. You're welcome to join me." She shook her head mutely, and rose from the shore.

"I'm going to go home, and sleep. My brain feels like it just got smashed apart," she muttered, and Dorothy gave her a quick, yet heartfelt, hug.

"I'll come by in the morning," Dorothy assured, and began the long trek home.

The other girl stood at the shore for another moment, watching the waves run in and out, in and out. Slowly, she willed herself to calmness. Slowly, her dark blue eyes, so dark they were almost black, took on the same mist as the sea.

It had hurt too much. There had been happiness, yes, but pain as well. Pain that seemed to far outweigh the happiness. Atropos didn't have to delve into the surfacing memories to tell that.

She turned her back on the waves, and made her way back to Rayth.

Slowly, she willed herself to forget.

x---x

"Remind me to mutilate that guy's corpse," Duo whispered, and Heero's hands froze. Although his violet eyes remained tightly locked, the boy's hand immediately clutched Heero's white-clad body closer to himself.

"I'll be joining you," Heero growled back, and returned to cleaning the small but deep wound in his side.

"I didn't even see him," Duo muttered angrily, even though his face was twisted in pitiful pain as the alcohol touched his skin once more. "One minute I was yelling at Relena for hitting on you, and the next thing I know, the window shatters and I've got a knife in my side." Heero nodded, although the prince couldn't see it. "Shit, I must be getting soft."

"It's the nobility," Heero muttered, and Duo's mouth clenched tighter as he began on where the blade had grazed him. "But, if it makes you feel good, he's still twitching on the marble." Duo grinned sinisterly.

"That makes me feel VERY good-AHMF," his eyes flew open as he cut himself off to stop from screaming when Heero began to stitch the wound back together. "Fuck, Heero! I thought you were waiting for the doctor!" The bodyguard shook his head.

"No. I don't trust the palace physician," he confided. "He was missing at the party when you were attacked, right along with Treize and Lady Une." Duo sighed in relief when Heero was done.

"Great. I just had to get a conspiracy, too," he grumbled, and Heero tied off his work. Duo appraised it. "That's actually not bad." The blue-eyed boy smirked.

"I kill at needlework," he joked, and Duo laughed.

"You made a joke! You DO love me," he yelled, and threw his bloody arms around the equally bloody boy. Duo then proceeded to kiss the logic out of shocked Heero Yuy. "We need to have a party! A big coming out party, you and me!"

"Out of what, the closet," Heero snorted, leaving a once-more ecstatic (and possibly delusional, from loss of blood) Duo to giggle insanely. "You're still engaged." For the first time, Duo looked around. They were in their (He smiled. THEIR!) bedroom, Duo lying on Heero's lap and subsequently ridiculously bloody, once-white pants. He smirked.

"Not for long, lover mine! One whack to her empty head, and we're home free," Duo said faintly. Heero frowned.

"You can't just kill someone to get out of an obligation, even if it is get out of a marriage with Princess Relena," he said, and Duo's eyes rolled into the back of his head, leaving white in place of the familiar violet. "...Duo?" His smile was still on, as always. "DUO! Wake up!"

As he attempted to reposition the other boy's body, Heero's hand touched a very damp patch of skin. He didn't even need to move his hand to know he'd missed another bloody gash. Swearing loudly and fluently, he turned Duo over quickly but gently. A gash, about four inches long, was happily gushing Duo's life out from itself.

As Heero went to work, Duo began to mumble. "...That hurts," he whispered, so faintly it was barely audible. Heero was too busy saving his life to respond. "You know, one of these days we gotta go sailing. Just you and me. We can go out and get drunk and come back and go out and come back and go out again. It'd be great. Like what me'n Solo did a few years back. 'Cept with alcohol and kissin'..." With another groan, Duo was fading again.

"Duo, I'll have that party for you," Heero said sharply, trying to keep the boy awake. He'd fallen hard onto the marble floor; if he fell asleep, he might not wake up again. A whimper responded, and Heero just kept talking. "A big party. With lots of cake, and alcohol, and costumes. And Wufei and Meiran and Trowa and Quatre will be there-"

"-'n Solo..." Duo whispered, and Heero nodded, started to sew his flesh together again.

"And Solo. And we'll go find Hilde again, and everyone will be there, and It'll...It'll," Heero's voice began to falter, when he realized a piece of glass from the shattered window was inside the wound.

"...on a boat..." Duo whispered. "With balloons..." Heero's hands stopped, once he realized he was shaking too badly to be of any use any more.

His mind blanked. Logic told him Duo would die, while his heart screamed out there was still hope. He'd never known how lonely he was until the braided pirate had invaded his life and taken over his soul, revealing things he'd never even dreamed of feeling. And now, he was dying.

_What can I do_, Heero thought to himself, exploring every option. He could stop time, race down to Sally's room on the ship...but she wouldn't be there, since she obviously lived onshore. He could go find the doctor, but the doctor would probably poison Duo. He could go get the other boys to say their last goodbyes...No.

Finally his mind rested on one option.

A long time ago, his teacher had told him two things that truly stuck out in his mind at that moment. The first was that blood bonded everything, and that was why Heero's blood could stop everything. The second was that there was no time in death.

Heero grabbed Duo's dagger from nearby, holding it firmly.

"This is going to hurt," Heero said, voice shaking. He didn't even know if Duo could hear him anymore; the boy had stopped whispering. "I love you, and you can't get away from me that easily." He slit his right wrist cleanly across a vein, stopping it momentarily with a cloth he'd been using for Duo. He then grabbed Duo's wrist. "This will either kill us both, or save you." With a moment of hesitation, the tender white skin sliced beneath Duo's knife, and Heero pressed his wrist to the dying, if not already dead, boy's hand.

The red hit him like a wall.

x---x

The first thing Heero noticed was the ballgame. Children scampered along the vista, giggling as they avoided the ball, clustering along different roped-off areas. A man and a woman, both in the church from their outfits, supervised leniently, more enjoying the sound of laughter and the smiles than really making sure things got out of hand.

The second thing he noticed was the excited six-year-old Duo laughing and screaming as he tossed the ball and whacked another kid straight in the forehead.

"HA! Got ya, Tom," Duo yelled, and Tom, a seven-year-old with angry gold hair, pouted as he separated himself from the game. "Who's next? Who DARES to stand up against the Mighty Duo?" The kids all giggled, and Heero strode forward. Absentmindedly, he realized he was the same age as before, wearing the same white-and-gold absurdity Duo had chosen, save clean.

"I do," Heero stated, and violet eyes widened at the site of him. Duo grinned.

"HEE-BABE! Didn't expect to see you here," he yelled, and ran forward to jump into Heero's arms. "Whatcha doin' here? Huh? Huh? Wanna play?" Heero frowned.

"Duo...where are we?" Duo cocked his head to the right.

"Maxwell Church and Orphanage," he shrugged, and his face brightened. "OH! Come meet the family! I always wanted to bring you home." The six-year-old giggled, and he dropped out of Heero's arm, tugging his hand towards the man and woman. Heero pulled him back, though.

"Duo, we need to get back," Heero said, and the child pouted at him.

"What, you don't like my folks? I'm sure they'll love you, Mr. Sexy Glare," Duo giggled. Heero found it somewhat scary that his lover was a six-year-old, but still seventeen at the same time. Before Heero could protest further, Duo was dragging him over to the couple.

"Sister Helen, Father Maxwell, meet Heero! I love him to death," Duo said excitedly, and Heero paled at the metaphor. He noticed the children had frozen in place. The two smiled warmly at him. "I'm gonna love him forever and ever, and we'll live together, and do everything together until we DIE! It'll be great!" Heero shuddered, and the woman gave him a warm hug.

"It's an honor to meet you," she said kindly. "I'm so glad Duo's found someone in his life. I'm not sure you're supposed to be here, though." Father Maxwell nodded as well.

"Can't say I approve of the sword, but welcome to the...well, family, I guess," he said jovially, and Duo jumped up to hug him, and then scampered over to hug Sister Helen.

"Thanks guys! I'm so glad you like him," Duo beamed, hands clasped around Heero's wrist.

"I'm glad to have met you," Heero said as kindly as he could, with the knowledge that Duo was dying right along with him right at that moment. "However, Duo and I must be going." The adults nodded, unsurprised.

"He wasn't supposed to show up for quite some time; we'd figured you had misplaced him," Father Maxwell smiled. "Now, all he has to do is leave. You're free to go, of course, even though you'd only end up in your own world. Not the real one, mind you, but the one you'd probably call Heaven. Duo's still got two more to go, so as soon as you convince him he's not six anymore, you'll be slipping out." Heero nodded, and looked at Duo, who shrugged, pouting.

"I know I'm not six," he grumbled. "It's just fun to be every now and then."

The red hit again.

Now, the first thing he noticed was that Duo was still standing next to him, their hands in hand. They were on a ship, and from the flag a pirate ship as well. Duo looked about eleven, and for the first time was wearing the same thing as in the real world.

"DUO!" A voice yelled out, and Duo sprinted away from Heero to tackle a blonde-haired young man. He looked to be in his early twenties. They wrestled on the deck, laughing. "God! What are you doing back here?" The blonde, sitting on the braided boy, pulled him up and gave him a fierce hug that probably would have killed six-year-old Duo.

"I'm temporarily dead! Come meet Heero," Duo said happily, and actually climbed onto the other boy's shoulders, as in literally climbed like a mountain climber scaling a peak. Heero couldn't help but be intrigued by the fact there was nobody else onboard the ship.

The blonde gave Heero an appraising look, then finally shook his hand passionately. "I'm so glad to meet you! I'm Solo, Little Death's big bro," he grinned, and Duo gave him a playful smack on the head.

"Adopted sibling. He's dead, by the way," Duo whispered to Heero playfully, and Solo frowned.

"I heard that."

"I'm glad to have met you too, Solo. Duo mutters about you in his sleep," Heero said hurriedly, and the older brother's eyebrows shot up.

"Oho...so you're sleeping with him, then," he asked, and with a quick backwards move Duo flipped the man to the deck.

"Play nice," the younger boy grinned, and Solo rubbed the back of his head.

"Can't say I approve, but I like you, even though I have no idea what you'd see in the brat," Solo grumbled, and then shrugged with a sigh. "Duo, Heero, feel free to come back when you're, you know, really supposed to be dead." Duo grinned, and hugged him again.

"Sorry I can't stay longer, So," he sighed. "Got a usurper to kill, an assassin's body to mutilate, and a Heero to-"

"GAAAH! Don't say it! Dear lord, don't say it," Solo yelled, covering his ears. "My little BROTHER! Yeeugh! That's just wrong." Chuckling, Duo hugged Heero tightly.

"I'll miss you, Solo," he said, smiling bittersweetly. Solo smiled, and ruffled his hair.

"Get going, you crazy pirate."

Again, red whacked Heero like a bathtub off a building.

Heero blinked. He remembered this. He remembered the deck of Deathscythe, the Nataku lashed onto its side, and...

He could feel Duo gaping too. They were staring at themselves, both looking out to sea and talking in hushed tones. Immediately, Duo's head went up to the stars, quickly calculating what the date had been. Heero was too busy looking fixedly at themselves.

"It's the day you decked me," Duo said, amusement clearly shining through. "Well, I'll be damned." Other-Duo laughed.

"No kidding, if you're looking at yourself," he chuckled, slinging an arm around Other-Heero. "Sorry to break it to you two, but if you can see yourself, you're dead. Think about it. All the people you've seen...any of 'em living? I sure can't remember seeing Wuffles come tackle you with Solo." Duo shrugged at himself.

"This is kind of freaky," he said, slipping away from Heero to look at the other two.

"Hn," both Heeros said at the same time, and the two Duos fell to the floor laughing.

"I have a feeling this one will take a while to get out of," Heero said, and Other-Heero nodded pensively.

"You've got to get him out of here fast," Other-Heero stated. "Your idea worked, but it's pulling both of you out at the same time. If one dies, both die. If one's alive, both are alive." Heero frowned, and Other-Heero nodded. "The paradox. It makes you share everything, but mostly pain." Finally, Other-Heero smirked. "Nice outfit." Heero glared.

"Shut up."

"They're so CUTE," Duo giggled, and Other-Duo nodded, quickly tackling Other-Heero.

"Duo. We HAVE to leave," Heero said, getting desperate. "If we don't leave soon, we'll be dead for good." Sighing, Duo nodded, looking somehow defeated.

"Alright. But, you owe me that kick-ass party."

This time, it was white.

x---x

A/N: OOO! Look how early this one's up! Don't you love me? Huh? Huh? Alright, I'm done being annoying. Now, here's your choice: Either Chapter 13, or Heero Special next. You choose. Hence "choice". And you may be asking yourself, why is this up so early? Well, I've got things to do, and had some free time, so I figured, hey, why not just write 12 and put it up? So, here it is. Yay.

READER RESPONSES (YAY!):

Windy River: Cute smiley face. I did! Be proud.

Vashs-daughter: Thank you! I agree; I hate cliffhangers, but sometimes (shrugs) it happens. Thanks for reading!

Mlaine: HA! So true, so true...My family has a habit of snooping, though, so I have my computer firewalled and all types of passwords and security stuff. Just on this. It's scary to think what I'd do if I actually had something illegal on my computer.

TrenchcoatMan: Yes, yes Atropos was hired to kill Duo. And yes, the action will be upon us. The next chapter's...different...than this one. In a good way? I like to think so. I don't mean to neglect 3x4...it's just...DUO and HEERO! GAH! Love 'em to death.

LilShinni: OOO! New fan! Free help? Hmmm...I've always wanted a bookie. Could you be a bookie? I can wager...pencils. High-class, huh? I'm glad you like my story! Makes me feel special.

Myca: YAY! Hat next chapter! **_HAT NEXT CHAPTER!!!_** (Jumps around giddily and lands on her face.) Sorry. Very exciting. (Eats cookies.) The wait for 3x4 will be worth it, though. :D Oh yes. Definitely worth it.

priscel: YAAY! I'm loved!

TO ALL: You people ROCK! I'm in such a good mood right now, that if you wanted a freakin' TREIZE special I'd give it to you. Just for being so freakin' cool. You people made my day. Thanks. So...to all you non-reviewers? I like you too. And I know who you are...(looks straight at you, then smiles). Feel free to review.

And yet again, PLEASE give me a description for this story. It's so far away from the beginning I can't think of a short summary that doesn't give everything away!

(HAT NEXT CHAPTER!!! WOOO! )


	16. SPECIAL! Heero

A/N: So. If you're wondering why this was late, I've been rather preoccupied. My dad was just diagnosed with cancer (right along with my mom! Grr...) and he has surgery in a few days, so due to family health, these will be appearing MUCH slower. Argh...so. This one's different than the others (ie darker), and shorter. (Sigh) Life sucks. And GAH! What the fuck does the world have against my family??? Good lord... Alright, I'm done. Go read the warnings now.

Not-Normal Warnings: Heero Abuse, Violence, and Moderately Scary Quatre. Bit o' spoilers for Ye Of Reading Into Things and Getting Luchia's Foreshadowing. Onward!

Sea of Silence

SPECIAL 4

Heero

x---x

_My duty is to protect, to kill, and to serve. Above all, safeguard the prince. Above all, place others. Below all, place yourself. I am the guardian._

x---x

"Get up," the gruff voice said as he hit the dirt floor again. Blood was pooling on the sand from his split lip. The six-year-old glared at the man. "Get up, Dog." The boy, commonly called Dog among other things, shakily rose to his feet.

"I'm up," he whispered, and the man made a contented sound.

"Good. Now fight again," the boy shuddered. "Fight, or the boys are in deep trouble." With one final glare, the boy called Dog took up his stance, ready for the much larger man's onslaught.

But, instead the man tossed a book at the boy's feet, spattering bloody sand onto his bare legs.

"I don't understand," the boy began, but the man cuffed him sharply.

"Hold your tongue, boy," he snapped, looking irritated as he picked the book up. "Sometimes, words are more powerful than fighting." The man grimaced. "Sometimes. So, to protect and serve, you need to know more than just fighting." The boy, sprawled on the sand, nodded. "Now get up, Dog. Your..._tutor_ is waiting." The boy rose, muscles aching.

He'd been trained for as long as he could remember to ignore the pain, so he did. He'd also been trained to constantly count; windows, guards, seconds...anything. It could always give him an advantage. At six years old, he did it without thinking, his brain constantly tallying things on almost a subconscious level. He'd been in the sand room for seven hours.

The corridor outside the metallic door was similar to every other area of the Keep; muted beige stone with torches lining the haggard masonry accompanied a well-worn rock floor, sand trailed onto it. With that reminder, the boy wiped some of the bloody sand off his body.

The man opened another door, and the boy stepped in, only for the door to slam shut behind him. Unlike any other child his age, he didn't flinch. He merely blinked, and even that was more from the slight change in pressure. Where the corridor had been chilled, this room was slightly warm.

There was a flash of light, and the boy's eyes trained into their usual cold expression.

"Hello Heero," a man's voice said, and a white-haired man slid into the pale light cast by a wall sconce. The boy frowned. The smileless man wore strange glass lenses across his eyes. The calculating boy didn't like how easily they hid the tutor's gaze. "You may call me J."

"J," the boy stated flatly, and the man nodded, his face blank. "You're to train me." J nodded.

"You're smart. And strong. And fast," J said, and gestured for the six-year-old to sit in a nearby chair. "It is my duty to mold you into what you must be."

"The guardian," the boy said flatly, and J nodded.

"Do you know what you'll be guarding," J asked, and the boy shook his head. "Are you aware you're still covered in blood and sand?"

"Yes." The boy refused to even acknowledge embarrassment. Slowly J's lips twisted into a semblance of a smile. Whether it was a smile, a smirk, or something darker, the boy couldn't tell. The man's glasses glinted again as he went further back into the dark.

"Good. Come."

The boy followed him into the shadows.

x---x

"Meet your mark," J said, and the blonde nodded at Heero. The boy looked a year younger than his own seven. As politeness decreed, the older boy bowed slightly.

"Mr. Winner," Heero said in his smooth, yet still pitifully childish, voice, and J left the room without looking back. As soon as the adults were gone, the blonde melted into a smile.

"Please, call me Quatre. Master Quatre in public, if you would," the blonde boy said, smiling. Heero bowed his head.

"Quatre, then," he said, and Quatre shook his head, hopping into a wicker chair.

"Don't feel like that. Just say you're unhappy; at least, when the door's closed and we're alone. I hate how the guards ghost by," Quatre smiled. "I can feel your emotions." Heero nodded.

"Convenient," he stated, and the blonde shrugged.

"So, you're my guard? What do you do, just follow me around and keep people from stabbing me," Quatre asked.

"You could put it that way," Heero said, still standing at attention. After one year of intensive training with J, he knew to never stand down without permission.

"Oh! You're more than welcome to sit down," Quatre said, and with a curt nod, Heero fell into an armchair. "So, what's your name?"

"Heero Yuy," Heero said. "You may call me Heero." Quatre smiled at him.

"Well, welcome, Heero. Now tell me, do you know arithmetic? I just get worse and worse," Quatre said, practically glowing at having someone to speak with without needing to guard his actions.

The next time he was sent to see J, Heero told him everything.

x---x

Years grew trust, friendship, and even a brotherly love between the two boys. Heero had been giving false reports to J since he was eight, and now that he was thirteen he knew his time was running out. Just as J manipulated and destroyed Heero's body, the Mage controlled Quatre's mind.

Originally, the boy's telekinetic powers had been utterly dormant, only surfacing in moments of pure panic. When Quatre had been three, he'd panicked. The Mage found out, and bonded his life to that power. The bond made both capable of using it, although Quatre seemed far more adept (and intelligent) than the Mage.

"You're a dog, Yuy," the man said, and slammed his fist into the guardian's jaw once more. Heero didn't move, save miniscule recoil. Sure it made his neck throb, but the satisfaction from seeing the man's purple face certainly made up for it. "That's all you'll ever be! Recite!"

Heero had had enough. For his entire life, he'd been beaten down by the same man. This man. And, from what his ridiculously intelligent mind could gather, it no longer had a purpose. There was no meaning in it. His cold blue eyes rose to challenge the man's gaze.

"No," he said very clearly, mussed chocolate hair covered in bloody sand again. The man glared.

"What did you just say, you little-"

"I said no," Heero interrupted, standing up as cleanly as he could. The beating had been going on for an hour now. Even at eight, Heero had been intimidating. At thirteen, he was downright terrifying when he chose to be. And right now, he chose. The man backed up, dropping his rod in the process. Heero picked it up.

"Get away from me!" The man was screaming, backing himself into a corner, but Heero approached, hefting the rod expertly. He'd seen it in action every three days his whole life. He knew every flick, every jab, every thwack, and where to do it.

"No," Heero said coldly, and with hardly any effort raised the blunt object, and in a moment of pure fury, slammed the metal switch straight into the man's neck. It cut the skin, and through most of the flesh, stopping with the spine's resounding crunk sound as it met with the metal.

Blood was coating him, but Heero was long past caring. He had to get to Quatre. It was time to go.

x---x

Heero hated the desert. He hated the worshippers who came for Quatre, he hated the heat, and most of all, he hated the lack of water. So, really, he just hated the desert. The Manganacs were fine with him; they knew how to fight, and were nearly as diligent as he himself when it came to guarding the desert prince.

He'd taken to training the tribe, in case the worst happened and he either needed backup or died and someone else had to take over Quatre's guardianship.

Said boy was still bubbling about meeting his sister a year ago (which Heero couldn't help but be envious of). He knew there wasn't anyone looking for him, except maybe to kill him and Quatre. And the desert leader just seemed to be walking on air.

"I think it's time we left for Algon," Quatre said clearly, and Heero stared at him. "The Manganacs don't need us; they NEVER needed us. And, I want to go see our families." Heero couldn't help but notice the 'our'.

"I don't have a family," he stated, and Quatre smiled at him.

"You're my family, so consider yourself an honorary Winner," Quatre was glowing, and Heero was reminded of a sunning lizard. He seemed to just soak up the benevolence of his own action.

"I'm not related to you, no matter how much you wish," Heero snapped. "Besides, it would take almost a month to get to the nearest port! And there's your safety to consider. How can we trust anyone? They could be a pirate, or a slave trader, or something worse."

Quatre shrugged. "That's why it's called trust." The two stared at each other.

"You're serious, aren't you," Heero stated, and Quatre smiled again.

"We're leaving in the morning," he said, and Heero took the chance to walk out of the huge tent and straight on towards his own smaller yet far more comfortable tent. It was clearly the closest one to the small oasis, what with being just a few feet away from the water's edge.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go, it was that he truly, deeply hated knowing Quatre was eagerly jumping into trouble. Although gentle, he was nosy and would probably end up being killed by it. He plotted too much, when the occasion let him. The blonde was too politically inclined.

The list of Quatre's possibly fatal flaws flowed through his constantly calculating mind, just as his own ran through. He thought too much, he couldn't be everywhere at once, he hardly ever took anyone's advice, and most importantly, in bright red letters flashing in his brain, he didn't know a damn thing about ships.

Heero sighed quietly, and began packing. When Quatre said something final, it WAS final.

x---x

A/N: The end of a far-too-short, far-too-boring special. SO! To cheer myself up, since there's only going to be four or five more chapters to SOS, I'll be posting four or five chapter 1/prologues on the same day. I'd REALLY appreciate it if you guys would tell me which you want when this is done. Some of them are serious, others are just...insane. All of them would be interesting, and I can't choose, so...yeah. Please do that. K, bye!

TrenchcoatMan: Err...Trenchcoat-sama. (Nah, sorry, that ain't gonna happen. It just sounds weird.) BUT, I'm putting your description (although shortened) up as soon as my damn scanner works. I figure, a deal's a deal, so I can't use it until lovely Mr. Winner is sitting pretty on the internet. Crafty Usurper. Ha. That ain't the half of it.

Silver Cateyes: No, Hilde/Atropos was NOT raped. Well, she was attacked, but probably not in the way you're thinking...agh! I just gave stuff away! BAD kitty!

Rekkaboziegirl: Allergies? I have those too! Back when I lived on the east coast, they were horrible. I'd die in the middle of class. I always love getting the Boys drunk; it's one of my specialties :D. And on a boat? Tipsy fun!

Windy River: Eheheh...oops.

Empress Shinigami: Cookies?! COOKIES?!? Oh, I hope you consider this fast! Thanks for thinking I'm awesome. That just cheers me up.

Priscel: I loved reading you reading. Well, that sounds weird. ANYWAY, Duo and Wuffles were "experimenting" at 14 & 15; yes, that is pretty early, but in the series they're 15, so...yeah...Wow, my birthday's popular. YAY! Fellow Greek Freak! SO fun! And you'll see how Our Daring Duo (hee!) will make it out in time. Of course they make it! Come on! I'm a 1x2 addict!

Myca: Yes, they'll be okay. 13's one of my lucky numbers, too! (Points to name) See? And, oh yes. The Hat Orgy will commence.

The Rogue Prince: Glad you're enjoying it! Keep going! Or...stop. I haven't written more yet...(blushes)

Avid Reader: I love doubles. I mean, two Duos? Two Heeros? What's not to love? Well, confusion, but still. Thank you!

Mlaine: No kidding! Those hurricanes; I remember back in the day (yes, I can say it! I have a right to say Back In The Day!) when we'd have to go run away. That was really annoying, 'cuz the darn things never got near our house. Wow. I feel sorry for you not having a computer; I only have one because it's from 1996.

Blackwolfzee: Oooo! I feel so loved! Thank you, and welcome to the story!

I feel like a popular girl at prom! You guys are so great! Well, Ch. 13 will be coming out (relatively) soon, so thanks for reading! Please review, as always! And also look out for Luchia's Multiple Fic Extravaganza in a couple days. THANKS!!!

(PS anyone ever seen Fight Club? I need some info on it.)


	17. The Usurper

A/N: Hiya! Welcome to the Extremely Cool Chapter 13. This is, of all things, where the end begins. Muwahahah! It'll be great. So, lemme just say that this is going to get INSANE, and if you thought you hated me before, well...you're about to loathe me. Welcome to the beginning of the end! : D Probably three more chapters.

Also, please (if you haven't done so) vote for which story you would prefer I complete after this one by reviewing that one. So far, Prodigy is winning. And as soon as my scanner FINALLY works, the Quatre picture (and subsequent new description) will be up. Heck, I might even put up a 1 & 2 picture I recently drew (non-yaoi), if the stupid thing cooperates. Thank you. Feel free to continue now.

Not Average Warnings: Scary...well, basically Scary Everybody, and Extreme Plotness And Length. (See? The wait's worth it!) Oh! Implied 6x9, too. Yay!

Sea of Silence

Chapter 13

The Usurper

x---x

"It's not that I'm not having fun, it's that I keep feeling something bad from Heero and Duo," Quatre reassured his lover, who frowned. "It's like...it's like nails and ice and being compacted by a glacier." The blonde, with a sigh, released himself from the brunette's loving embrace and slid off his lap.

"And you think we need to check on them again," Trowa stated. Quatre, in all honesty, would have been just fine with getting another chance at a romantic evening, but he'd never felt anything like this before, especially from Heero. He nodded, eyes begging understanding, and Trowa stood up. "The sooner we check, the sooner we're done."

Quatre smiled, and stood on his tiptoes to give the older boy a quick kiss. "I hope you don't mind running then," he said, and smiling jogged out of the door.

However, after a few meters of good-natured racing, Quatre suddenly stopped in the middle of the hall, his face as pale as the moon. "Trowa?" His voice was a hoarse whisper as the blonde fell to the ground.

Thirty seconds later, when Quatre opened his eyes again, urgency gripped him. "Trowa! We have to get to their room! Duo's dead," Quatre began yelling, and before he knew what was going on, Trowa had grabbed him off the floor and was sprinting down the hall. He skidded to a halt in front of the door, putting Quatre down gently yet quickly.

"It's locked. I'm breaking it open," Trowa stated, and tried to kick the door in. Of course, it didn't work, since Heero had insisted upon the reinforced mahogany set.

"They're both gone," Quatre muttered, and for the first time Trowa noticed the glaze across his normally bright aqua eyes. "Far away..." Trowa picked his lover off the floor.

"Quatre? Can you hear me," he asked, and in an elegant motion, the younger boy waved him away.

"Heero's going to get himself killed one of these days with stunts like this," he grumbled, and with a shake of his golden locks, Quatre was suddenly frantic again. "Get the doctor! Quick! I'll break down the door." Trowa eyed him skeptically.

"I love you, but you don't seem big enough," he said. Quatre smiled, and grabbed one of the nearby swords from a coat of armor.

"It's all how you go about it. If I slammed myself against the door like you, I'd end up breaking something," Quatre said, and with a look of intense concentration poised the blade over the door handle. "Sometimes, force is better than brute force." Quatre slashed the wood directly to the left of the handle, and the clasp broke, right along with the blade.

Trowa couldn't help but smile as Quatre opened the door swiftly. He was a man of many talents.

"Doctor, Trowa! Now," Quatre yelled, and with a nod he raced down the hall. The blonde himself threw the shattered sword aside, and walked quickly into the room.

An exhausted Heero sat bleeding both above and below Duo, their wrists tied together with a bloody cloth. Duo himself seemed frozen in time, a pained yet peaceful expression on his face as he lay in Heero's lap.

"...Heero," Quatre asked warily, and tired blue eyes met his own. To his astonishment, violet snapped towards him in greeting as well. "What's going on?!"

"Duo's frozen," Heero stated. It appeared he didn't have the energy to say anything longer. With a dry gulp and a deep breath, he continued. "My blood's keeping him from dying, but it's also stopped time for his body. He's conscious, but stuck in his own body. He can move his eyes, but not blink. He can think, but not speak. He..." Heero's voice died on him as exhaustion took over. "A lot of blood's involved, and I don't know whether we'll survive."

Duo rolled his eyes, and Quatre heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you two aren't dead! I sent Trowa to get the doctor-"

"He's in on it," Heero said, and gulped again. "Sally." Quatre nodded.

"I'll try, Heero, but she'll be awfully hard to find, and I don't know how long you two can survive," Quatre explained, and Heero nodded silently.

"We'll survive long enough," he stated, eyes returning to Duo's. Quatre took it as a hasty dismissal, and left. Violet shimmered in amusement. "You're laughing, aren't you?" Up, down. "You look stupid, too." Roll, forceful stare. Heero smirked, feeling proud of himself for knowing Duo's eyes that well.

Glance at the door. "Quatre's gone for Sally." Up, down. Glance at wrists. "I'll be fine." Forceful look straight into his eyes. "I'll be fine." Eye roll. Heero smirked. "I'll. Be. Fine."

Duo's eyes gazed into his own, a swirl of hope and despair, love and agony. "Does it hurt?" Up, down. "Can you feel?" Up, down. Heero frowned. "I still owe you the party." Up down up down up down. His frown deepened. Heero Yuy had never been a fan of costume parties.

x---x

The next morning, Dorothy found herself fulfilling her promise. She stood in front of the Noin apartment's door, debating with herself. It wasn't like anything was different now that Atropos was a girl. Well, she'd always been a girl. Yet more proof nothing was different.

Dorothy grimaced. Except her sexual preference.

She'd admit it. Dorothy Catalonia had fallen head-over-heels for a girl. An assassin. She was even wearing pink today- PINK!- for Atropos. Or was it Hilde? Dorothy wasn't really sure.

With a mental shrug, Dorothy knocked politely on the door. After some hushed voices and scrambling, Lucrezia Noin's head peeked out of the door, looking ruffled and blushing like a rose.

"Hi, Dorothy. Attie's not here; she's been out since last night," Noin said, her blush deepening with every moment. Finally, after Dorothy had been digesting the words for about fifteen seconds, Noin spoke again. "Excuse me for a moment." The door slammed shut, and the bodyguard could hear the muffled yelling in the other room.

"Zechs! Damn it, give me three minutes to help Attie and Dorothy," Noin yelled. There was a muted and very male chuckle, and some muttering the blonde woman couldn't make out. A giggle, another yell of "Zechs!", and Noin was back at the door, her hair looking even more unkempt. She was scarlet. "Sorry about that. I don't know where she is, but I know she was acting strangely all last night." Dorothy nodded, barely trying to hide her smirk.

"I'll leave you two alone now," she said, and Noin turned positively purple. "Don't worry, I won't tell." Noin nodded her thanks, and slammed the door. "ZECHS! What did I tell you about stroking?!" Dorothy smiled, and soon made her way out into the streets.

She quickly regretted her choice on pink clothing again. As soon as she began walking in the worse parts of Rayth, she'd be propositioned about five times a block. Finally, she opened her cloak enough to show off the loose, flowing white pants and rapier at her side. The sword quickly shut the common perverts up.

Dorothy stopped when she noticed her friend sitting on top of the wall surrounding Rayth Castle.

"Hey, Dorothy," the woman called half-heartedly, head swiveling towards the blonde. Dorothy frowned. This wasn't her Atropos.

"Are you okay," she asked, hurriedly scaling the twenty-foot stone wall with total disregard for her outfit. The navy-eyed girl shrugged.

"I guess. It's just, I tried to make myself forget, and now..." her friend trailed off, and Dorothy couldn't help but stiffen.

"Hilde," she stated, and the woman looked at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Dor," Hilde said sincerely. "I'm still Atropos, but...I'm Hilde too." She shook out her shoulder-length gray/blue hair in frustration. "Gaah! I don't know what's going on!" The bodyguard began to absentmindedly twirl a small strand of gold hair. It was a nervous tick she'd never known she had, mostly because Dorothy Catalonia did NOT get nervous.

"No need to apologize," she said. "I'm glad you remember your past. You know who you are now." Hilde sighed, leaning backwards until she lay on the top of the wall.

"I kind of wish I didn't. Now I've gotta go tell Duo what I've been doing the past year," Hilde sighed, and jealousy stung at the blonde's heart. "Not to mention I can't kill my own brother, but that means someone else'll get the contract. So, Une's going to kill me too." Dorothy's eyes widened.

"There's going to be another attempt on the prince's life? And UNE planned it," Dorothy asked incredulously.

Treize had always been happy with whatever life gave him. It was one of the reasons he'd been chose for regent, and now Prime Minister. So was Une working by herself? She didn't seem the type to scheme without adding Treize into the picture; Lady Une lived solely for her master, and they were practically married. (Of course, Une wouldn't accept Treize's proposal, since she was 'below him'.)

Hilde shrugged. "Well, either that or Lady Une suddenly developed an evil twin," she said. A finger traced the scar that graced her cheek. "Hey, Dorothy, why did you kiss me?"

Dorothy froze.

"I have to warn Relena," Dorothy finally said. "As the prince's fiancée, she'll be a target as well."

"I'll come, if you'll let me," Hilde said. Dorothy couldn't help but be pleased at the sudden burst of Atropos. Sure, Hilde was great, but Atropos was hers.

"Should I call you Hilde or Atropos," Dorothy asked, and the girl smiled.

"Whatever you want to call me works just fine," she said, and to Dorothy's utter shock batted her eyelashes. "I'd support whatever you want to do."

x---x

Hilde couldn't help but feel a little guilty as she walked down the hall in her green cloak, gray pants, and burgundy shirt. Dorothy would probably have wanted her to dress in skirts, and talk to Relena, and at the least stay nearby. But, she had to see her brothers.

"I'll meet up with you later," Hilde said, and before the bodyguard could protest, the blue-eyed girl was running down the hall. She'd always been able to tell where Duo, Wufei, or Trowa was; she held it as proof that they were truly family.

The Atropos within her began muttering Noin was her family, Zechs was her family, Dorothy was...Dorothy was hers.

Feeling guilty again, Hilde took off again, barely registering the blonde woman's yell of protest. Her feet quickly carried her to a battered corridor, a mahogany door hanging from a single bent hinge, the other propped on the floor. She grinned. It was clearly Trowa's work.

"Trowa," Hilde yelled out, and quickly made her way into the room, only to gasp. "Duo! What happened?" Violet eyes looked shocked as she approached, and Prussian blue attempted to appraise her.

"Atropos," Heero stated.

"Hilde," she corrected absentmindedly, coasting over to Duo. "You okay, bro?" Duo's shining eyes moved up and down vigorously. "What's wrong?"

"You have a scar, and your hair's longer," Heero muttered. "Different from the shrines. He knows you, and he's really relieved. But, more worried too." Hilde tilted her head at the stormy, tired boy cradling her brother.

"You're pretty good at this," she noted. "You got some kinda connection to him?" Heero's eyes widened, and quickly flicked to their joined wrists.

The door was bypassed again by a flurry of two blonde figures, one the smaller blonde she remembered by Trowa, the other a woman who was looking intently at the bedridden boys.

"Miss, please leave," the woman said, and Hilde crossed her arms.

"I'm staying."

"Go," Heero stated, and begrudgingly Hilde began to trot out the door. "Come back in an hour."

x---x

"I don't approve of how you go running around with that assassin friend of yours," Relena said coolly, sitting like the royalty she was in a tall-backed white chair. Dorothy stood in front of her in the soiled white pants and pink shirt from before.

"It's not your choice who I like and don't like, Relena," Dorothy snapped, blue eyes glinting dangerously at her mistress. To the bodyguard's surprise, Relena's matched her own with a cold fire.

"You are my bodyguard. Take responsibility for my safety, just for once," she retorted. "Why can't you respect me? Why won't you just do your duty and serve?" Dorothy's jaw clenched.

"You're on thin ice," she growled, and Relena rose elegantly. For the first time, Dorothy realized the princess wore red, not pink.

"I can swim," she said coldly, and without a hint of fear slapped the armed and trained taller woman across the cheek. Dorothy, shocked, backed away. "You will help me. You will respect, obey, and serve."

"No, I won't," Dorothy yelled. "I'm not your servant!" Relena sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Sometimes, you surprise even me with your stupidity and emotional rationale," she said, and Dorothy gaped. This wasn't the Relena she'd had charge of for five years. This Relena was...

...dangerous.

The immensity of the change weighed down on the blonde-haired girl.

"Une, if you would," Relena called out, and Lady Une stepped out from the shadows, her hair up in two buns tied with a red ribbon the same shade as Relena's dress. Like any bodyguard, her sword was at her hip, but in her right hand she held (to Dorothy's shock) a dagger. "Dorothy, you're like a sister to me, if not more. Please help."

"I won't assist you," she said, jaw set stubbornly. Relena's expression darkened again, making her blue eyes like sapphire coal.

"Fine," she snapped, and before Dorothy could even draw her rapier, Une had clobbered her over the head with the hilt of her sword. As the blonde slumped to the ground, she wondered what they would do to Atropos.

As Une moved forward with the knife, Relena held up her hand. "No. We'll let the others take care of her. We have things to do." Une nodded, tucking the dagger into her boot. "Pick up her little criminal friend, too." The two women walked out the door.

x---x

Duo blinked blurry purple eyes, and looked down. He frowned. What was he wearing??? Someone had dressed him in the same black clothes from the party, except clean, and (the most significant and disturbing change) black bat wings. The things had to have cost a fortune.

"You're up," a very familiar voice said pleasantly, and Duo turned his head to see Heero in a costume he could only guess was a fallen angel. And Duo definitely wanted to kiss him. But, he couldn't stand up. His frown deepened. Damn.

"Not really, what with being propped against a wall on the floor," Duo snapped, and began to rub his temples. "Gahh! I have a headache the size of a giant turtle, and I can't stand up to tackle you, and you look so sexy, but I'm stuck on the floor! The...wooden floor. Where are we?" Heero smirked.

"I owe you a party," he said, and quickly put a black mask on Duo's face, followed by a gray mask for his own face. "Come on. I got everything but Solo." Duo gaped at him.

"Hilde? You found Hilde?! She's alive? I really saw her? Oh, I love you Heero," Duo yelled, and grabbed the shocked white-clad boy around the ankles. With a burst of strength, Duo then pulled him over to the wall, giggling madly as he began sucking the life out of his lover.

"Duo! Off," Heero said, barely pulling himself away, and Duo started to pout. "Hilde's waiting outside; she almost attacked me to get in here." Duo smirked.

"You owe me, then," he said, and Heero couldn't help but be a little unnerved by the demon's sadistic smile. Not that he objected, of course. Usually it was extremely fun. Heero frowned. Usually.

"Can you get up," Heero asked, and after Duo shook his head Heero (who had plenty of practice now) pulled him up easily into a bridal-style hold. The braided boy cuddled closer, and Heero kissed the top of his head gently. "Don't die again."

"I'll try, but if you go I go," Duo said sincerely. Heero frowned.

"Yes, you will," Heero said, and Duo looked at him confusedly. "I kept you alive by stopping time in both of us, and then just by you. We share blood now, so if you die I die, and if I die you die. We halve the pain by each taking a bit. We're...bonded." Duo rolled his eyes.

"So what's that mean, I can make you twitch by poking my foot," he asked, and Heero shrugged.

"Basically, yes," he said, and opened the door. A dark blue fairy flung herself at the couple.

"DUO!!!! DUO DUO DUO DUO DUO!!!" Hilde yelled repeatedly, and Heero had to literally pry her from the braided boy, who was gasping for air, not to mention ridiculously annoyed by the sheer yet itchy blue wings that kept getting shoved into his face.

"Hilde! What the hell happened to you? Where'd you get the scar? Why didn't you come back," Duo was yelling, squirming so much in the white-clad boy's arms Heero almost dropped him. Hilde shrugged, and Duo gaped. "And why are you in such a short skirt, young lady? I thought you were decent!" Hilde giggled, her smile making the white scar curl up against her eye.

"I got the scar from a knife, obviously! And I didn't come back because I didn't know I had somewhere to go. I've been living with my sister," Hilde shrugged, and Duo gaped at her.

"We have a sister now?" Hilde toyed with her longer hair.

"Well, It's more I have a sister. Lucrezia Noin," she shrugged, and then glared at him. "And you're sure one to criticize my outfit, Mr. Hang-All-Over-Heero!"

"That's because I can't walk yet," Duo defended, and then smiled, giving her a warm hug. "You look cute, though. Seen 'Fei and Tro?"

"Yep. Wufei nearly stabbed me until I explained I remembered who I was, and Trowa just did that quiet smile thing," she shrugged. "Then again, they'd seen me. I was there when you got stabbed; Wu was pulling me over to you."

"Atropos stabbed the assassin in the side. She saved you just as much as I did," Heero said, and Duo (yet again) shifted closer. "Party?" Duo grinned.

"Oh yes."

On the deck of the horrifyingly civilian ship was a mass of balloons, cake, candy and any alcoholic beverage imaginable. Heero plunked him down in an extremely cushy armchair, and Duo was amazed his wings didn't rip when they were bunched up against the back's cushioning. Heero himself sat on his left in a stiff-backed gray chair, and Hilde sat on a stool straight in front of her brother.

"Hey, what's this about Atropos," Duo asked, and Hilde shifted uncomfortably.

"That's me," she muttered, staring at her shiny blue shoes. "I didn't remember who I was, so I just..." Hilde shrugged. "I was Atropos Noin. All I could remember was being the God of Death's sister, so I was the Goddess of Death. Over here, that's Atropos." Duo nodded.

"So what happened to you that made you leave and get all amnesia-y," Duo asked, and Heero handed him a piece of chocolate cake. Violet eyes shining, he grinned at the bodyguard. "You're so good to me. Save my life, carry me around, find my sister, AND bring me chocolate cake? What more could I ask for...wait. Ummm, Hee-babe?" Heero sighed, and left his chair, returning with a big glass of some fizzly green alcoholic drink. Duo beamed at him. "I love you." Heero snorted.

"You'd better. Any idea how much this cost?"

"Well then it's a good thing I'm paying for our first date!" Hilde stared at the two.

"You...you've never been on a date," she asked, eyebrows crossed.

"Relax, sis! No need to protect my honor or something," Duo said, taking a big bite out of the cake. "Ahhh, that's goood. Tastes like Heero!" The other two choked on their food, and Duo slapped his bodyguard on the back.

"Thanks," Heero grumbled.

"Too much information. TOO MUCH INFORMATION." Hilde had her hands clapped over her ears and Duo grinned.

"I'm glad to see someone else has the sense to be disturbed by that," Wufei's voice drifted out, and the three turned to see Wufei and Meiran striding on-deck. Meiran was wearing a tiger-striped dress with a little tail hanging down and cat-ears, and Wufei was dressed as...

Duo glared. "That is NOT funny," he snapped, and Wufei smirked, very proud of himself for dressing up exactly how Duo usually did, with black pants, a white shirt, and a white collar. There was even an identical knee-length coat, and a very familiar sword hung at the other boy's hip.

"Yes it is," Heero smirked. Duo whacked him.

"Anyway, now that you're over that, we have news to announce," Meiran said coolly, and Wufei glared at his wife.

"I thought we were doing that later," he said, and she shrugged.

"Well, I'm saying it right now. I'm pregnant," Meiran snapped, and the three winged creatures gaped at Mrs. Chang.

"Oh. My. GOD," Hilde yelled. "WuFEI! You're gonna be a daddy!" As hard as the Duo-clad boy tried, he couldn't help but smile. Meiran was (as common as it sounds) glowing. Hilde ran forward and hugged her almost-sister-in-law. "Ahh! I'm gonna be an aunt, and you're gonna be a mommy!" Meiran uncomfortably hugged the fairy back.

"Enough, Hilde! Off," Wufei yelled, and pried the blue creature off his wife. However, Hilde just tackled Wufei instead.

"You know, you're gonna have to tell Meiran's parents you two are married now," Duo said, and Meiran shrugged.

"True. They still think I'm dead, though, so I think we should do it after the baby's born," Meiran said, just as Trowa strolled onboard in a very interesting ensemble.

He was painted gray, wearing tight gray pants, and covered with vines. Duo couldn't help but laugh aloud, and for about five minutes while Meiran and Wufei announced again their upcoming child.

Finally, everyone was sitting in a circle talking about absolutely nothing, when Quatre walked in, blushing furiously.

He was in a hat. A pirate hat. And looked so undeniably cute yet sexy that Heero was glaring at EVERYONE for looking at his almost-brother like that (well, except Duo, who was just gaping). The rest of the ensemble, which was a loose white shirt and tight brown pants with a brown coat similar to Wufei/Duo's, but it was barely noticed.

"Excuse me," Statue Trowa said quickly, and stood up to quickly throw his lover over his shoulder and almost run into the ship, Quatre giggling madly. Heero growled.

"Down, babe," Duo said, scratching the top of his bodyguard's head. Then, the braided demon turned to his sister. "Trowa and Quatre are basically married now. Eh, that's the blonde. Quatre. He and Heero grew up together, so he's a little, ah, protective, shall we say?" Heero glared at him.

"I am not," he stated.

"And in denial about it."

"I am not!"

"...Oookay," Hilde said, scratching the top of her head. "So, Trowa's with Quatre, Duo's with Heero, and Wufei's married to Meiran, but Wufei and Trowa and Duo are still in the family- WITH me- and Heero and Quatre are basically brothers?" They all nodded, and Hilde shook her head. "And I thought MY life was complicated. I'll have to thank Lu for not adopting anyone but me later. Wufei's not a pirate anymore, Heero's Duo's bodyguard, and Duo's the prince?" Again, everyone nodded. "Damn."

"And that's even without the tattoos," Duo pointed out. The blue fairy whimpered, and Duo patted her on the head. "Don't worry, Hil. You don't have to catch up on a year in a day."

Hilde suddenly frowned. "Anyone else hear that," she asked, and the other four shook their heads. "It's like a faint whistle-"

"Down," Heero, Duo, and Wufei yelled at the same time, and they all fell to the floor as the first arrow hit the deck. It pierced a balloon, and it popped loudly. Meiran couldn't help but shriek, and everyone else but Heero jumped a bit.

"Damn it! Heero, don't ever buy balloons again," Duo snapped, and the angel rolled him below one of the tables. "Oww! Watch the wings." Heero smirked, noticing Meiran was being completely barricaded beneath one of the other tables. Hilde had pulled two daggers out of nowhere, and was crouched under a chair, a foreign glint in her navy eyes Duo had never seen before. "Oi! Hilde! You okay?"

"I'm fine," she snapped, and the ladders came, their tops falling to brace on-deck. As the most experienced when it came to ship battles, Duo was mad as hell he was too weak to walk.

"Heero! Wufei! Get the ladders," he yelled out, and the two ran off to do as he'd commanded, Wufei from habit, and Heero from trust. "Ummm, Hilde? Wanna help?" The girl blinked for a moment, and then realized Duo was trying to stand.

"If I were you, I'd stay down," Hilde shrugged. "You got plenty of cover." Duo glared at her.

"I KNOW. I wanna help!" She rolled her eyes, and went to join the two boys with their unsuccessful attempts at getting the metal contraptions out of the wooden deck.

Finally, they gave up, and let the red and gold-clad men climb onboard. Duo, from years of experience, knew they were from Sanc. As he tried to pinch his legs into obedience, a blade touched down at his throat.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Maxwell," a woman's voice said coolly, and with a sideward glance identified the red-ribboned brunette as Lady Une.

"Well, hi, Une. Sorry we didn't invite you, but it was for, you know, people I can trust," Duo bit out. Lady Une chuckled.

"I'm loyal, if that's what you mean," she said. "Just, not loyal to you." Duo rolled his eyes.

"Typical," he grumbled, and the bodyguard pulled him overboard, to land with a silenced thunk in a rowboat. She propped him up against the side and slipped back up, to return with an unconscious Hilde in her arms. "Heeey! What's with stealing the fairy?"

"Atropos and my lady have some things to discuss," Une stated coolly. "Now please, sit back and enjoy." Duo quirked an eyebrow up.

"Eh? What the hell does that mean," he said, and Une knocked the confused boy unconscious.

x---x

A/N: WOW was that long. I mean...wow. 12 pages! WOOHOO! Bet you guys didn't expect the usurper to be Relena, huh? Muwahahahah! Well, this took a while, didn't it? (shrugs) I told you it would, so no apologies! None!

So, either 2 or 3 chapters more. Exciting! Now, reader responses! So fun.

TheRoguePrince: I'm so glad you finished it! And love it! I got the fight club stuff though, but thank you for offering.

SilverCateyes: Heero was two –YES, TWO- when his training started. I think I started his Special at...five? Maybe? Can't remember right now...so, yeah. Basically, he's never had a childhood. Poor thing. And, sorry 'bout ending one cliffhanger and then putting on another. It's the only place I could really stop, so...sorry?

Mlaine: Well, my dad was always extremely overprotective. Plus we only lived a couple miles from the coast, so we kind of had to leave when a hurricane was on the way. And I consider 'back in the day' less of an 'I'm so old' and more of a 'I'm so experienced' type of saying. Otherwise, it's the only reason to look forward to being old. Well, maybe retirement. Agh! Rambling.

Windy River: Sorry?? Well, length makes up for it.

TrenchcoatMan: Sama. Ha. Anyway, thanks so much! That helped a lot. I haven't seen it all the way through, but I wanted to know which one was fake. My parents won't let me. That confuses me. I own Kill Bill, but can't watch Fight Club. Twisted. And trust me, you do NOT want me to write a 3x4-centric fic. I tried one of those, and...(shudder) you just don't want it.

Priscel: Awwwww! Make me feel all gushy inside. You get a cookie for sympathy. (Hugs back)

Mistress Koishii: Oh, just you wait! I'm thinking a big orgy with wine everywhere and Mr. Steamy would be a LOVELY ending to SOS. Well, not really, but it'd be fun anyway.

Magical-flyingdragon: Well, I've never read the manga either. (shrugs) I read a translation of it online, though. Does that count? I'm so glad you like my story!!!

Well, thanks for reading! Please, please review. Still gonna do Wuffles' special 150. Bye!


	18. The Instigation

A/N: I'm back! My dad's out of the hospital now, so I'm in a super-duperly good mood. But, he is sort of annoying now. He's moping. Stupid moping... So, the countdown begins now, at three chapters to go (including this one, and maybe an epilogue). Sad, but exciting too. And then, I'm all over Prodigy and Chemical Romance. Yay.

Non-Standard Warnings: Plotness, Moderate Cliffhangers, Evil Relena, Scary Duo & partially creepy Quatre.

Sea of Silence

Chapter 14

The Instigation

x---x

Duo's eyes remained shut as he scooted further to the opposite side of the bed, arms questing for Heero. He frowned after noticing a lack of bodyguard, and scooted more, and more, until he fell off the side of the bed with a yelp. Violet eyes snapping open, he glared at the empty bed.

Duo jumped to his feet, appraising the room. On the other bed, Hilde was mumbling something about blonde hair, and the rest of the room consisted of one window that stared out on a foreign forest and beach, along with a sandy courtyard full of tired Sanc soldiers.

He frowned. "Shit."

"Mmm," Hilde sighed in her sleep, curling up and burying deeper into her pillow. Rolling his eyes, Duo walked to his sister's side. With a truly evil smile, he leaned down.

"Hilde, precious," he crooned into her ear. "Think you should wake up?" Hilde shook her head, dark blue hair spattering the white pillow.

"Lemme alone...Dorothy's tired," Hilde mumbled, and Duo's jaw dropped open. He quickly restrained his mouth, and leaned back down, all the while his brain going in turbo on how to destroy Relena's bodyguard for corrupting his little girl.

"Dorothy wants you to wake up," Duo said, and did the one thing that could always make Hilde wake up, albeit pissed and giggling. He gently tickled her right behind her earlobe, and the scarred girl's head snapped up, whacking Duo in the forehead as she giggled uncontrollably.

"DOROTHY! Stop that," she giggled, and Duo couldn't help but stare at her, rubbing the side of her head, eyes still shut. Finally, the brunette couldn't take it anymore.

"DOROTHY?! As in, the Pink Bitch's bodyguard?! Holy fuck, Hilde, you sure know how to pick 'em," Duo yelled, and cold navy blue eyes snapped open to glare at him. It almost rivaled Heero's...well, maybe not, even though the scar did make her seem more menacing.

"Shut up, Duo," she snapped, running a hand through her shoulder-length, tousled hair. "Like Heero's any better." Duo made an obviously extremely ticked noise in his throat.

"You listen here, missy! Heero happens to be the sweetest, hottest, sexiest, smartest, considerate-est, caring-est-"

"I get it! Shut up, already, and tell me where we are," Hilde snapped, ignoring Duo's rant and glare. Duo shrugged.

"Somewhere in Sanc. My guess is the nearest castle to Algon, from the state of the soldiers. They've either been fighting for a while, or marching all night," Duo shrugged, and Atropos kicked in.

"How many?"

"Too many."

"Escape?"

"Hell yes. All I gotta do is get in range, and then you just gotta carry me out," Duo shrugged, grinning. Hilde frowned.

"I'm not that big," she stated, and Duo grinned.

"Drag me, then." Hilde whacked him on the side of the head.

"I wouldn't even know where to drag you! Face it, your plan SUCKS," Hilde yelled, and Duo glared at her.

"Well, it's not like you've even GOT a plan, missy," he yelled. "Besides, what do you think'll happen when all those soldiers see you in that skimpy little blue dress?"

"I'd be fine. I can take them," she stated coolly.

"Are you just an idiot now that you've got longer hair, or did I just never notice it before? I doubt you could take an ENTIRE FREAKING LEGION," Duo yelled. Hilde just blinked.

"I could try, though." Duo slapped a hand to his own forehead.

"Why did they have to kidnap you too? WHY? I could be back at the castle cuddling with Heero in my throne, but noooo. You had to-"

"This is MY fault now?! What the hell do you think I did, throw myself at Relena and say, 'Please, please kidnap me; I'd be so sad if you didn't!'-"

"It wouldn't half surprise me, you brainless, love-struck-"

"AHEM!" The feuding siblings' heads snapped to the door, where Relena and Lady Une stood, Relena frowning and Une moderately amused.

"Thank you," Relena stated, and Une nodded. "Now, as you both know, you're at my mercy. Welcome to Sanc, by the way. Atropos, please stay here as Prince Duo and I take a little stroll, hm?" Hilde shrugged, and plopped down on her bed.

Duo accompanied his captor into the stone hallway. Unlike every other day he'd seen Relena, she wore a blood red color, her hair in a bun.

"Your highness, I assume you know you're here for a reason," she stated, and Duo nodded, opting to let the politician get her point out before he killed her. "My country is tired of this war, as yours is. Young men die daily without even a mention in the paper. Battles go unheard of, all for the pride of our ancestors. I believe it is my duty to stop this war.

"As you know, our engagement was to be the treaty between the countries. But, since we both can't stand each other, and it's rather obvious you're in love with someone else, just as I am, that won't be happening." Relena opened a door, and the two stepped into a huge library, windows stretching to the thirty-foot roof. They stared out on the Sanc Legion, now in rows, staring straight at them and looking so genuinely ominous Duo was actually worried.

"So what, you're gonna kill me and take Algon," Duo asked, and Relena smiled quietly.

"No, Mr. Maxwell. I'm going to marry you, and then take Algon. After that, you can go back to whatever hell hole you came from -" Duo smirked at how correct her insult had been. "- since you obviously don't want Algon, or me. Atropos and Heero remain, and you'll be free to go."

"If Heero stays, I stay," Duo said, and Relena's smile turned grim.

"If you stay, you die," she said. "You end up finishing this worthless war with me, everyone dies, I never find my brother, and Dorothy and Atropos die in each other's arms. Heero will marry me when you're dead to save the lives of those remaining, and the war will have completely destroyed both nations. Is that really what you want, Mr. Maxwell?"

"Fuck, lady, are you always this morbid," Duo snapped, and Relena blinked in shock. "You really wanna know what I want to do? I want to kill you RIGHT NOW, but the fact you've got my sis holed up in a room with Une is stopping me...barely. The fact you've got the hots for MY Heero just makes me hate you more. There is no way you can get the fuck out of this fight, bitch. I'm going to tear your head off, do a jig, and eat your soul." Duo was grinning. "And your little dog too. You have no idea who the fuck you're messing with, do you? I'm the God of Death. And you? You're just a stupid little girl." Duo strode toward the door.

"You'll regret this," Relena yelled after him. "You walk out of this castle, and any chance of a peaceful end flies out with you!" Duo's response was to flick her off as he slammed the door.

A guard came running into the library three minutes later, bloody and panting. "My lady! He's escaped," he said. Relena just nodded.

"Thank you," she said, and picked her skirts up as she walked back up to speak with Atropos. The door opened quickly, and Une stood there. She bowed, and Relena nodded. "Leave." Une, as always, did as she was told, and shut the door behind her.

The assassin lounged on the bed in her blue dress, staring lazily out the window.

"He left," she said. Hilde shrugged.

"I know. I'm just fine with it, too, so don't try to force us apart or something," the blue-haired girl said, sitting up with a toss of her hair. Relena looked down.

"I...I have to tell you something rather upsetting," she whispered, and Hilde looked at her warily.

"Eh...Relena? You do know you're the bad guy, right," Hilde asked, and Relena glared at her.

"Did you ever bother to wonder why? They killed Dorothy, Atropos! She's DEAD," Relena screamed, a bit of water trickling down from her eyes. Hilde stared into space. "They found her when she was waiting for you to come back, and they just murdered her."

"No..." Atropos whispered. A tear fell down her cheek as her eyes shut and she shook her head. Could they really do that? Relena had every reason to lie, but...not about this. What did she really have to gain from a scarred little girl on her side?

Logic flowed through her brain. Relena could be lying. She probably was lying. But, she was crying. Could she trust the princess? Were the boys capable of killing Dorothy?

That saddened her to the core. Yes, they were. They were pirates, overprotective, and scared for her. The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Tear-stained eyes looked up at Relena. "It's your fault, too," she stated, navy eyes almost black. "I'll kill all of you." The woman walked out the door, unhindered as she strode out of the castle.

Lady Une stepped into the room, and Relena smiled at her. "That went well, didn't it?"

x---x

"...Heero," Quatre asked hesitantly. The rhythmic practice his brother performed continued. Twist, slice, jump, roll...the sword fell to the ground with a puff of dirt. Hard blue eyes snapped to Quatre.

"What," he asked, and picked the sword back up from the dirt. Heero was clad in black pants, a loose green shirt, and the same off-white coat as he'd had on at Duo's party. The thing hadn't come off his back in single day since Duo and Hilde had been stolen. They all knew Heero was taking it hard; it's rather obvious when someone spends eight hours fencing with shadows.

"Trowa, Wufei and I have a plan," Quatre finally said. "We'd appreciate your help." Heero just nodded, mussed dark brown hair falling into his eyes. "Trowa and I will be leaving as soon as we're sure Dorothy's safe to leave in Algon. She just keeps yelling at us for Atropos, whoever that is." Heero shook his head. They'd all been there when Hilde had explained her alias...except Trowa and Quatre, his brain admitted. They'd been ravaging each other in the ship.

"Hilde is Atropos," he stated, and Quatre got that thoughtful look he had every time he had a plan.

"Trowa and I are leaving now, to get our forces prepared," Quatre said. "I trust you can take care of things here with Wufei; right now, he's off making sure Meiran will be well taken care of and safe. He kidnapped Sally to watch her in a mountain hut with half the Guard around it. After that's done, he'll be approaching Meiran's parents for help." Quatre chuckled. Heero glared, and strode through the doors, intentionally cutting in front of the scheming blonde.

Upon entry to the conference room, Heero barely dodged the thrust of a rapier. The practice of the previous eight hours kicked in. Twist, dodge, jump, roll.

The blonde let out a frustrated cry and ran forward as Heero brought up his sword. She slashed, he parried. She lunged, he parried. "I know where Atropos is," he finally snapped, sick of having to hold back from killing the annoying twit. The rapier was immediately sheathed.

"Where," she stated, and Heero smirked.

"With Duo," he said, and Dorothy blinked rapidly. "Help us, and we'll get her back along with the prince." She gave him a disdainful look.

"I could care less who rules the stupid countries. Relena's a manipulative, pink-obsessed bitch, and Duo's so apathetic to Algon he'd let Rayth burn to spare his braid from being singed," Dorothy snorted, and Heero glared at her. His Duo was not to be insulted. "I'd have just left the whole thing to Cousin Treize and the Ministry." Heero frowned.

Was that why Lady Une was working with Relena? Because her Treize should have been king? His frown deepened. He had to discuss this with Quatre; politics were his area of expertise. Heero just killed people.

"Will you help us, then," Heero asked, and after a moment of hesitation Dorothy nodded, her long blonde hair shifting slightly. "What do you know about Relena's plan?"

"Hardly anything, other than she wants to kill Atropos for...how'd she phrase it? Ah, yes. For 'tainting' me," Dorothy snorted. It had been one of the conversations before Relena's true betrayal. One of many that should have warned the neglectful bodyguard. "Attie wouldn't taint anyone. Kill them, maybe, but never taint them." Heero nodded.

Just then, Treize strode in, looking absolutely pissed. "Dorothy, dearest, where would my Lady Une be," he bit out, and Dorothy shrugged, indifferent.

"I'm guessing with Relena the Princess Bitch," she said, smiling. Treize smiled harshly.

"And where would that be, my dear cousin," he said, icily smooth.

"With Duo and Atropos," Heero stated. "Help us, we help you." Treize turned slowly to the younger man.

"She has the prince? How could you let that happen," Treize demanded. "AND Une! Sir, you must understand how genuinely angry and upset I am, not only at Relena and my dear Lady, but also with Dorothy for not stopping that silly girl from this foolishness. If you say you can help me, by all means you have my cooperation." Heero nodded.

"My fault?! MY FAULT?! She knocked me out! How the hell was I supposed to stop her? She took Attie! She'll kill her," Dorothy yelled out. Treize gave her a demanding look.

"My dear cousin, I distinctly remember charging you with keeping Relena from her idle fantasies of peace," he sighed. At seeing Heero's intrigued look, Treize explained further. "Since her mother and father were murdered and her brother was sent into hiding here in Algon, Relena has believed it is her duty to bring peace to our two nations. She'd do practically anything to get what she wants." Heero nodded, having a sour taste in his mouth.

At that annoying ball or whatever it was called, the princess had been almost literally throwing herself at him. Heero had been too preoccupied with both keeping Duo safe and from killing his fiancée to set the girl straight. And now, he was sure Duo was paying the price. He'd been woozy for almost twelve hours, which Heero could only assume was from Duo being drugged into sleep.

"I have people to involve with our efforts," Treize began. "People that will benefit us drastically, if you permit it. One of these is Zechs Marquis. The other is Lucrezia Noin. They work together, of course."

"What makes their help so drastic," Heero asked, and Treize smiled tiredly.

"Because, Zechs Marquis is actually Milliardo Peacecraft, Relena's brother. And he's blindly loyal to me," Treize said. "Lucrezia Noin is his everything, and she'll protect my dear cousin's Atropos, since they're sisters. Not to mention Noin and Une grew up together. And, you'll have me as well. Une would never attack me, just as I would never attack her." Heero nodded.

"Two of us are using our connections to gather reinforcements," Heero stated. "I am expecting four ships and at least two hundred warriors who are extremely difficult to kill. There will probably be more, as well, including a circus and the rest of Quatre's congregation." Dorothy raised her eyebrows.

"Quatre has followers," she asked, and Heero nodded.

"A desert tribe believes him to be their reincarnated divine leader named Sandrock," Heero stated. "His supposed retainers, the Manganacs, would be more than willing to die for him, and are practically unstoppable fighters. That's not including the pilgrims he had visiting; I would estimate he has at least five tribes who have sworn allegiance to him. Trowa will be bringing his troupe, most of which have weapon or animal acts, and most likely he'll bring Duo's armada and pirates as well." They both looked impressed. "We ourselves are also invaluable weapons."

"I feel far better about this alliance now," Treize mused. "If I dare ask, what will Wufei be bringing?" Heero frowned.

"He'll be bringing his wife's resources, apparently, along with himself," Heero stated. "Numbers unknown." Dorothy eyed him quizzically.

"And what are you bringing, Mr. Yuy," she asked, and Heero glared at her.

"Me." The authority in his voice was unquestionable, and made it sound as if he could take on the entirety of Sanc barehanded-and win. Treize and Dorothy nodded.

"I'll be back," Dorothy said coolly. "I intend to contribute equally to our alliance, so I have to go get my own resources, don't I?" Treize eyed her suspiciously.

"And who would those resources be, my dear," he asked, and Dorothy met his eyes squarely.

"You'll see, DEAR cousin," she sneered, and walked out the door.

x---x

A/N: MUCH shorter, but that's cuz this is what I call "Set-up". Oooh. How unheard of. Next chapter we get into the actual gathering of forces, some lovely hair pulling, a sweet, fluffy scene or two. Hilde/Atropos on a rampage? Duo eating Relena's soul? Wufei talking to Meiran's parents?! What's NOT to love about next chapter? I'm so excited!!! AAAAH! And whose side will Zechs choose, anyway? (Rubs hands together) This'll be good. Isn't Relena a manipulative little bitch? I'm about ready to scalp her for doing that to poor Hilde. (Wow, that's weird. I'm angry at myself for writing something I'd been planning all along!? I'm so confused...)

OKAY! And, since I feel exceedingly benevolent and neglectful of cute lil' 3x4 fans, I'm informing you of the following: Prodigy's gonna be about equal on the lovin' in a few chapters. So, no worries.

READER RESPONSES!!!:

Myca: HAT! Matey? Ooo! So piratey! I love pirates (If you couldn't tell.). And isn't Relena just EVIL?! I hate her! This is my version of ultimate Relena bashing. Make everyone hate her. Yay! Die Relena, die!

Windy River: I have a joke for you. What did one ant say to the other ant?

TrenchcoatMan: See, the evil of my 3x4-centric fics is that I turn it into pure smut. I hate writing smut, as entertaining as it is. I've always thought they'd be mushy-gushy and sweet, but when I write it, they end up doing very bad things. You're so nice! And, now there's about 2 chapters left. Haven't decided on whether or not to have an epilogue.

Silver Cateyes: I wrote more! I agree wholeheartedly. Poor Hee-chan...And the Zechs Intrigue begins next chapter. So fun!

Lost-Remembrance/Red Tail: Hmmm...I don't know whether to be nice or mean. You compliment my writing, yet insult my plot. Hmmm...I'll just say thanks for reading and reviewing, then. And if you don't like plot twists, BE WARY OF ME. I'm your worst nightmare. (evil grin)

Mistress Koishii: Tempting. And another 1x2 Addict! Yay. Welcome to the club. Worship, you say? (grins) By the way, you're still my beta, if you're okay with that. I'm just extremely slow. Yeah, just a few months slow...(blushes.)

Spellhorn: Don't I?! I'm not sure if I'm going to kill Relena yet. Maybe maim her. Sorry 'bout the cliffhanger...

Danilion: How could Relena be the usurper? Well, she's a freaky little pink-loving princess who has repressed sexual tension towards both Heero (shudder) and Dorothy (shudder again). I can't picture her with ANYONE. Well, I don't WANT to at least. I'm twisted.

Magical-flyingdragon: Isn't she?! I LOVE Hilde! Well, not in that way, but still. She's my 2nd favorite after Une. Bipolar people are fun. I don't know why I like her. Then again, I'm a Lady Macbeth fan too...

The Rogue Prince: OOO! You agree with me! I think Relena's always been manipulative. (Pulls down a chart of scenes in GW & holds a pointer) See? Queen of the World, Lackeys in her school, yelling at Heero to kill her...(chart burns into ashes and blows away). I'm just making it a bit more obvious. And fun.

Mlaine: Poor sick Mlaine! (Gives Kleenex) Relena's so bad. And Dorothy's so cool. Funny, they're supposed to be opposite, aren't they? (shrugs) I'm glad you're feeling better, now!

THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!

(Next Chapter: Not a "The Something" chapter!!! Shocking!)


	19. Gathering

A/N: Sorry it's late...I am officially swamped with all kinds of frantic AP teachers. This is also late 'cuz my dad's still recovering from surgery and all that. So, second-to-last chapter. I'm so sad. On to the story! The _extremely_ long story...I probably should have made it two chapters, but oh well. Enjoy!

(BTW, Meiran's dad, Fou Lu, is from a fun and underplayed RPG called Breath of Fire IV. He's very OOC, but I needed him to fit the part. Consider it a cameo more than anything.)

Unusual Warnings: EXTREME LENGTH, Mild Confusion To Be Explained Later, Extremely Scary Vampiric Quatre, Scary Trowa, and Angry Father-In-Law. Kind of citrus hinting...I think...

Sea of Silence

Chapter 15

Gathering

x---x

As soon as Trowa stepped off the ship, he was close to screaming. Hell was in civil war; hordes of pirates fought against his deadly troupe, without either Trowa or Duo to keep them from tearing each other apart.

Inwardly he sighed, wishing he and Quatre hadn't had to separate just yet. But, the blonde needed more time to get to his tribes, so Trowa had given him a fierce goodbye kiss and they'd both gone their own ways. He wasn't happy about it, though. He missed his little one terribly, and they'd been separated for only one day. Trowa grimaced slightly. Only one day; it seemed like an eternity.

He shook the thought off, and pulled out his sword. It looked like he might have to fight his way through to Catherine's house. The wooden town, clearly very charred from Algon's petty invasion to get their prince out, still stood, although much of it was in shambles. He didn't doubt it was from the two groups literally attacking each other in the middle of the street.

A circus dog wearing a tall polka-dotted hat rammed itself into a pirate with a prominent red sash on his waist. Trowa growled.

"Devin! You will NOT attack that dog," Trowa yelled, and shocked brown eyes looked up at him as the circus dog growled and began tugging at the pirate's pant legs.

"Trowa, sir," Devin yelled, and saluted. Trowa just glared. "The troupe's been running amok since you were killed." Green eyes blinked, shocked. Killed? Well, it would explain a bit...

"Bubbles, off," Trowa snapped, and the dog, wagging its tail, trotted away with a strip of Devin's pants hanging loosely in its mouth. When the pirate came over to see how his first mate was doing, Trowa slammed his free fist into the older man's face. "What are you people doing? I don't have time for this!" As Devin fell to the ground, Trowa strode purposefully towards Catherine's house. It was barricaded, but wood had never stopped him from getting anywhere. A few quick and absurdly strong kicks, and he was in.

Catherine appeared in the corner, resplendent in her circus outfit. Without even checking who it was, threw her knife.

It was only the fact Trowa had been getting his sister's knives thrown at him for years that saved him. As occurred in every performance, Trowa's hand snaked out just in time and grabbed the hilt. Catherine gasped, and Trowa threw the knife aside.

"TROWA! We thought you were dead," she yelled, and ran forward to give her brother a fierce hug. Trowa laughed softly.

"No, I'm not dead," he said, and hugged her back while keeping a firm grip on his sword. He had broken the barricade, so clearly anyone else could get in. "We have to go. I need you to get the troupe together; we've got to go save...Duo." Trowa decided it would be better to say they were saving the unanimously most loved man on the island than the country unanimously tied as the biggest threat to Shinigami Enterprises.

"What happened to him," Catherine asked quickly, and Trowa paused for a moment.

"Sanc got a hold of him, and we need to get him out," he said, once again telling the truth while leaving a quietly gaping hole in the middle of his statement. Catherine nodded quickly. "Get the troupe together, and find Dante and make him turn the pirates civil." Catherine frowned.

"And what will you be doing," she asked coolly, and Trowa grimaced slightly.

"I'm running to Duo's house, grabbing some things, and then...experimenting a bit while I'm there," he said. "I'll be back in about two hours, if I don't pass out." Catherine smiled, and gave him another quick hug.

"Be careful, Trowa," she said, and headed out of the small house. Outside, the troupe had set up a barricade in the short span of time between Trowa's invasion and Catherine's emergence. She rolled her eyes. "Idiots! Get it together! Trowa needs us!" The circus performers stared at her, and Catherine shook her head. "He's alive, and heading over to Duo's place. We have to save Duo! Get ready to get on the _Tesoro_; we're leaving as soon as my brother gets back."

The performers were suddenly in a flurry of action, and the fluffy-haired dagger dancer ran off into the town to find Dante. This wasn't very hard, incidentally, as he came out to challenge her as soon as she crossed the road.

"Catherine Bloom! Get your people out of Hell," he yelled, brandishing a sword. Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Relax, Dante," she sighed, tempted to rub her temples. Men were so aggravating some times. The ranking deckhand was lucky he was a good kisser; else, a lovely, shiny dagger would be glinting out of his forehead. "Trowa's back. We need to go save the captain." Twenty pirates suddenly leaped out, shouting for answers.

"Trowa?!"

"What's wrong with Captain Maxwell?"

"Kill her!"

The last person was quickly slammed into the nearest wooden building by a ticked-off Dante. The pirate shrugged at Catherine's surprised glance.

"He always pissed me off." The rest of the pirates laughed and nodded, all suddenly smiling at the misfortune of an idiot. "Now, what are we doing to save the captain?"

Catherine smiled. "Get ready to cast off. We're going to pulverize Sanc and get Duo out at the same time," she said. "We have about two hours." Dante looked around his motley crew, and frowned.

"You lazy buccaneers! Round up the guys! Prepare for battle!" They all scurried off, and Dante himself began to stride off, but turned towards her after a few feet. "Catherine, I'm sorry for threatening the troupe. We all figured it was your fault they were dead." Catherine nodded. "Is the _Tesoro_ even fixed enough to get into the deep?" Catherine smiled again.

"We'll manage."

Meanwhile, Trowa arrived at the silent two-story house in almost inhuman time. Inside the house, the second floor was completely haphazard, and Trowa tried very, very hard to not think about what had caused the destruction. Instead, he snuck into Hilde's room and grabbed the Maxwell family's weapons; the only sibling sane enough to store lethal items had been unanimously voted the spirited girl, and in all due haste the most lethal weapons (aside from themselves) had been tucked under Hilde's bed.

The oak trunk was extremely heavy, but he didn't have much trouble with it, since he'd had years of practice. Trowa frowned at his predicament. He could either take the chest and keep their masterpieces hidden, or store them on himself and get back down to the lions in a much shorter time. Finally, he decided to pull the weapons out. His own custom-made and extremely powerful crossbow came out first, strapped to his back. Next came Wufei's sword (that now hung at his waist) and throwing stars, which were tucked in a bag. Hilde's bizarre three-bladed knives, shaped more like a spiral than actual knives, were put in the same bag, and Duo's extremely expensive and extremely deadly unfoldable scythe hung (collapsed in on itself) at his other hip.

Trowa frowned again. This stuff was heavy.

The journey back down the road was much slower than the one uphill, since he barely kept himself from rolling down the incline with all the added weight. But, the family needed him, so Trowa complied without hesitation. He just didn't have to like it.

Catherine was waiting impatiently for him at the small road's intersection with the main track through Hell, tapping her foot and looking royally ticked off. "I need to get the lions onboard the _Tesoro_," she growled, and Trowa smiled. No wonder she was pissed; he was probably the only living person who could get lions to willingly board a ship and not eat the other animals onboard, mostly because anyone else who tried it died in the process.

"I needed to try something out anyway," Trowa shrugged, heading for the lion cage.

After his own lions had been massacred, he had quite literally found one on a pirating tour with the Shinigami gang, and from Sarai sprang quite possibly the most devoted, talented, and lethal lions known to man. He'd raised them from cubs, right along with their now-deceased mother. Trowa frowned inwardly. If there were any animal to attempt triplication on, it would be them.

He'd never done it before due to the fact it went against every moral bone in his body. Believing that every being was a sacred being and an individual, he'd never even considered attempting it, not even on worms. But, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Trowa climbed into the cage, and immediately the lions drew towards him. The pirate greeted them, lovingly scratching their heads, and Catherine opened the large cage's doors. "Come, loves," Trowa called out, and the three lions quickly followed their 'father' out and barely even noticed when they were led up a gangplank and onto a huge wooden ship that Trowa considered the Circus Ark.

As soon as the three were settled in a cage, Trowa addressed them. "I respect and love you all, but if you're willing I'd like to attempt something," he said. The lions exchanged glances, until Requiem, the dawn-colored lioness, stood up to rub her head against his arm. "Thanks, Req." A deep, throaty purr responded to him, and Trowa situated himself on the floor, the other two watching with interest as Requiem lay her head on his lap after plopping down next to him in a cloud of straw.

Trowa rolled his pants up to an almost indecent level so that the feline's head and neck touched as much exposed skin, and quickly set his other two hands at an equal level from the ground as Requiem's current stature left her head. In his mind, he pictured the lion's grace, her spirit- anything that made the lioness herself. In a more difficult exercise, he copied that exact image two times in his brain; each triplet cat was doing a different thing, but exactly the same.

Trowa couldn't help but brace himself before the twist, grimacing. This was going to hurt.

The twist went faster than he expected. As his two hands were suddenly being roughly licked by identical tongues, Trowa let his eyes roll up in his skull and passed out, knowing the lions would wake him up soon enough.

x---x

Wind whipped across the hilltop as Quatre glared at the mound, bedecked in long red-orange cloth made specifically for this ceremony. An unmarked grave, it stood in the middle of rubble that once went by the name the Keep. The blonde barely kept a sneer off his face.

He'd been gone so long, and still he was disgusted with the mere sight of the dirt. But this pile he absolutely loathed, for underneath laid the bane of his existence, the one person who had truly delighted in a young boy's physical and mental pain, the one man to have successfully used him, and steal away something rightfully his. The blonde's glare intensified.

"I hate you," he whispered, fists clenched as his aqua eyes turned the grave to a pyre. He could almost hear the Mage laughing at him in the wind, taunting him for not having the strength to achieve his telekinesis unaided. Now, he was suffering for it. Quatre's heated glare suddenly turning the mound to ice. "I hate you so much."

Out of his red-orange robes, the blonde pulled a dagger, and slammed it into the dirt. Power jolted through his arm, and Quatre barely kept himself from gagging. Power, yes, and enough to rekindle his telekinesis, but it was tainted, old, and dead. The blonde grimaced. He needed more, or his power would remain crippled forever.

He jerked his arm back, pulling the knife out sharply as the appendage began to shake violently. The ground tremored a bit, rumbling in disquiet. "Rashid," Quatre snapped, and the older, strong man strode forward from the select few guarding their leader.

"Sandrock," Rashid intoned, bowing at the hard teenager's gaze. In these robes, he could command them to commit suicide after killing their families, and they'd do it without hesitation. And it wasn't just from their belief in his divine right to rule; Quatre had proven himself to be a brilliant leader, and truly worth their allegiance. The blonde motioned him forward with a flick of his wrist, and Rashid sprinted forward.

"I need blood," the shorter man said, and without a moment's hesitation Rashid held out his wrists, palms up. Quatre bowed to him, and Rashid would have done the same if not for his desire to please his master at all costs. After the formality was complete, the quickly wiped dagger slashed against the tall man's bronze skin, and Quatre put his lips to it with a clear look of distaste in his aqua eyes. His lips drew away quickly, shivering and coated in the liquid, and then sliced the dagger, across his own wrists. The blood mixed on the blade, and Quatre, now violently shaking, shoved the knife back into the soil.

At the blonde's scream, a gale cut through the rank of desert warriors, throwing them to the ground, sprawled. As soon as it came, it was gone, leaving a shaking, panting Quatre Sandrock in the middle of a hole, a smoldering dagger's hilt in his hand. Rashid immediately hopped into the crater.

"Master Quatre," he yelled, but stopped at his leader's trembling hand.

"I'll be fine," Quatre stated coldly, his head turning to the sun, eyes shut tight. "He laced his body. He knew this would happen, and wanted to take me out." When Quatre finally turned towards the group of men, they saw his other side was spattered with blood. Clear blue eyes snapped to one of the lower elders. "Get my other robe." The man went running to the massive army below the hill. "Hakim, tell the others we're moving out." Rashid frowned as Hakim jogged away.

"Master, are you well enough to travel," Rashid asked, as the only man Sandrock wouldn't kill for insubordination. To everyone's astonishment, Quatre shook his head.

"I'm not," he said, then locked his gaze with his second-in-command (due to Heero's absence). "But, I'm going anyway." Rashid nodded, and Quatre turned to face a large boulder embedded into the bedrock of the slope. He tilted his head, and seemingly on a whim it rose into the air and hurtled to the ground, crashing violently into the crater Quatre had previously inhabited. A pleased smile formed on his blood-covered lips.

The first elder came rushing up the hill, breathless and carrying identical robes to the ones Quatre wore. The blonde changed quickly, and put the Sandrock pendant on above the fabric. It glinted prominently on his chest, and he turned back to the men.

"We leave," he stated, and the group began the trek to the coastline, where a hired fleet waited for the tribes.

x---x

Wufei glanced around him again. Sword at his hip, check. It wasn't his, but would do. Meiran secure in a secluded mountain hut with Sally Po in case there were any problems with the pregnancy, check. He had a bruised jaw to prove that one; his wife was undoubtedly the feistiest thing on the planet, and took pride in her right to pummel her husband whenever she felt it was necessary. Knives hidden in strategic places around his body, check. Another good/bad habit from Duo and his brother that Wufei just couldn't quit. Wufei frowned. Courage to face Fou Lu, Meiran's rich warlord father? He was still working on that one.

And he had to work fast, too. He was already striding down the hallway to Fou Lu's Great Hall, known for its condensed size and extreme wealth. The man would probably skin him alive and boil him with tar when he learned Meiran was pregnant; they were both seventeen, after all, and Meiran had been promised to some rich boring idiot hundreds of miles away.

Wufei smirked. His adopted family had taken care of that bit rather quickly. To ensure the Chang couple's security, Duo and Hilde's wedding present had been to kill the stereotypically immoral lord. And, they were forever grateful for it.

Fou Lu would not be pleased at all.

The two guards on either side led him through the gaudy halls, and quickly opened a pair of red doors. Wufei's expression soured. Meiran had told him about the doors; apparently, they were supposed to have been dyed the exact shade of human blood. He knew from experience they were far off, faded from the specific shade he was all too familiar with.

Wufei Chang strode in to see a sour-looking, youthful-looking man with long white hair in a dark blue robe sitting on a surprisingly simple wooden chair.

"So, you're the bastard who married Meiran," he growled, and Wufei couldn't help but be shocked. He had to be thirty-three at most. Fou Lu seemed to place his reaction correctly. "My family has a habit of reproducing early. As you seem to know, mister..." The white-haired man trailed off at an absence of nomenclature.

"Captain Wufei Chang," Wufei said, bowing quickly. Fou Lu nodded dismissively.

"Mister Chang. Well, at least Meiran didn't go off with some sniveling, grubby actor like her sister," he sighed. "Captain? Of what, yourself?" Wufei couldn't help it; he glared.

"Of my currently misplaced ship, _Nataku_," Wufei snapped. "Before that, of the _Deviant_, and before that the _Shenlong_, and the _Deathscythe_, and before that I was unofficial captain of my captain's ship." Distaste coursed through his veins. He hadn't meant to say that much to the man. Just like his daughter, he could make the boy ramble.

"Impressive. So, you're what, twenty," he asked, lounging deeper in his chair. Wufei's fists clenched at his sides.

"Seventeen," he growled. "Now, do you approve of our marriage?" Fou Lu smirked.

"No, but I approve of you. It's the fact you killed Lord Whatever-His-Name-Was to be married I don't like," Fou Lu stated. "He was going to give me far more than you'd believe for Meiran's marriage rights." Wufei snorted.

"Of course. Money over love," he drawled, restraining a sneer. "How noble." Fou Lu's mostly pleasant demeanor dropped away.

"What do you want," he stated, and the red doors slammed shut as Fou Lu stood from his throne in an eerily elegant way. Wufei squared his shoulders.

"I have come in the interest of three reasons. The first is that of Algon, which I couldn't care less about to tell you the truth, but we request your help in taking down Sanc once and for all," Wufei said, and then realized he could have introduced himself as the leading general of Algon completely honestly. "The second is Meiran and myself. We would like your approval so we can have a more...legal marriage ceremony performed." Fou Lu nodded, and Wufei swallowed. "The third, and most important, is that Meiran's pregnant."

The room was eerily silent, until Fou Lu began to laugh.

"You've got my armies," he said, shaking his head. "And, you can keep my daughter, too, and your child. All I want is a good chance to cripple you when the fight's over. If I don't, you get my empire, too. If I do...well, I guarantee you'll only have one child." Wufei nodded, his face paler.

"At the end of the battle, find me," he stated. Fou Lu nodded, a dark smile on his face. "We're gathering on Algon Plain." Again, the white-haired man nodded.

"I'll be waiting," he stated. Wufei nodded, and turned around. The red doors opened upon his approach, and the black-haired boy walked out, heaving a sigh of relief when they closed again while he thanked whatever demented being had made his skin unbreakable.

x---x

The door's peephole slid open, and brown eyes glanced down at her. "Name?"

"Dorothy. I usually come with Attie," she stated, and the brown eyes became more critical.

"You know where she is?" Dorothy smirked.

"If you open the door, maybe," she stated. The peephole slammed shut, and the door was jerked open. A seven-foot-tall man quickly pulled her in, rumpling the brown dress Dorothy had dressed in.

"Weapons," the man stated, and without hesitation, Dorothy handed over her rapier and the accompanying silver stiletto. The man made a noise of approval, and shoved Dorothy further into the dark room. A table sat below a bowl of fire attached to the ceiling with blackened chains, where a man sat, arms folded.

"You know where Atropos Noin is," he asked casually, motioning to the adjacent seat, which Dorothy sat in without hesitation. She smiled at him.

"Yes, and you want that information, and her," Dorothy said smoothly, flicking a bit of her hair behind her back. "The question is, more accurately, what are you willing to do to get your prized assassin back?" The man's face darkened.

"I don't have prized assassins," he stated, and Dorothy laughed shortly.

"You don't? Is that why Atropos hasn't ever been killed by an employer," she asked, and the man's hand thumped down on the table. "Is that why she hasn't ever been Tried? And why she's never been Challenged, or-"

"Enough! What's your price?" Dorothy beamed at him.

"Help getting her out," she shrugged. "Infiltration, and pulling her out. Simple enough...except, we'll be avoiding a final clash-type of battle." The man tensed. "Sanc's holding her, because of who she really is, which is Prince Duo's adopted sister."

"That's preposterous! Atropos is as far from royal as I am," the man snorted.

"Ahh...and any peasant on the street would know the word preposterous. I don't think I need to point out the time Attie could explain the entire inner workings of a ship without stopping to think," Dorothy said, and the man nodded solemnly.

"We'll get her out. I trust you want to be in on it with us, Dorothy?" She shook her head.

"No. I'll be stuck making sure Duo's bodyguard doesn't kill you," she said curtly, as displeased with that plan as Heero himself was. "He's been...violent since Duo was kidnapped." And herself, but she didn't need to add that part in. The man was shaking his head.

"We'll take care of it. If Atropos is in there, we'll get her out." Dorothy stood, and curtsied.

"Thank you, Guildmaster," she said, and the man nodded. With a satisfied look, the abandoned bodyguard walked out and back to the castle.

x---x

"Une, when I said I don't to see anyone, that means I don't want to see anyone," Relena snapped, glaring at the older woman, who glared right back.

"My lady, this is one exception you should make," she snapped, and Relena threw down her compass. Lady Une straightened her coat in exasperation. The princess was lucky her plan was in Treize's benefit, or she would have been dead a long time ago. The honey-haired terror stalked towards her, today in a cream-and-red ensemble, half her hair in a bun and the other half left to hang down.

"I can't take insubordination from you," she snapped. "Who could possibly be so important that it's worth interrupting planning a battle that will be either the life or death of my country?!" The door opened, and Relena's jaw dropped open.

"Meet Milliardo Peacecraft, your brother, and his fiancée, Lucrezia Noin," Lady Une said. The Crown Prince of Sanc wore a simple red jacket buttoned up with white pants, a sword at his side, while his fiancée wore a deep purple dress and seemed to glare daggers at anyone who looked at her.

"Relena," Milliardo said, giving her a short, smart bow that spoke of a life in the military. His younger sister gaped at him, as if he was a ghost. "I've come to support our cause, and country."

The princess was too busy passing out to hear him.

x---x

_The ground was cold on his skin when he fell with a grunt. Panting, he looked up with spinning vision at the small town in front of him. Could he make it? A quick tally of his injuries answered him with a resounding no. He was lucky to be alive. _

_A dog was barking in the distance. There were only four visible houses, as far as he could tell. The world was doing flip-flops, and he was barely holding back the bile in his throat. _

_With a quick, feeble curse, he blacked out. The ground jumped up to meet him._

"-eero," someone yelled at him, and angry blue eyes snapped open to see Treize standing over him. Heero got to his feet as steadily as he could. "What happened? I didn't know you were in the habit of fainting mid-meeting. Or were you just bored to death?" The group of men around a table full of maps laughed mutely.

"I'm leaving," he stated, and on shaking feet walked out the door, Treize not far behind. The cinnamon-haired Prime Minister grabbed his arm.

"You're in no state to leave the Castle, let alone Rayth, as you're obviously intent on doing," he murmured in case there were any eavesdroppers. "We need you for the battle." Heero pulled his arm away, already feeling the weakness wearing off. And that was a very bad thing.

"Duo's in trouble, and I'm going to help him," Heero stated. Treize shrugged.

"What do you think the battle's for? We're saving Duo and Hilde," he reaffirmed, but the young man shook his head.

"I'm leaving. Expect me back in the morning," he said, and with the weakness from their bond wearing off, strode down the corridor and straight into the stable. Without a word to the stable boys, he grabbed the well-known Wing, named for its insane speed and endurance. "I'll bring her back." The head boy nodded, and Wing and Heero took off out of the gate reserved specifically for a route from Rayth Castle to the land around the capitol, avoiding the constant foot traffic that was present even now at two in the morning.

Wing seemed to know exactly where to go, and Heero let her, analyzing what he knew from the brief lapse in consciousness. Duo was in pain, unconscious, and desperately needed help. From the spinning sky, Duo had probably experienced that a couple hours before, and plenty of horrible things could have happened in that time frame.

An eternity stretched on in the twilight as Heero and Wing approached a tiny village near the coast. Memory kicked in, and the bodyguard jumped off the mare to run the next hundred feet, where a bloody boy lay, black clothing torn beyond repair in the sparse grass. Heero grabbed him, and whistled for Wing.

Even though the mare had never been trained, she immediately ran forward, prancing in place as Heero swung the wounded boy into the saddle. Duo's head quickly found its way into the crick of the other boy's neck, since Heero had turned the boy backwards in the saddle for comfort, security, and easier maneuvering of Wing. The horse, however, seemed to read Heero's mind, and quickly started on its way back to Rayth.

Heero took advantage of the horse's intuition, and wound his arms around the other boy. He quickly realized that every time he touched one of Duo's cuts it transferred to his own body, so most of the ride was spent absorbing the slashes. They only lasted for a few minutes, and although the pain was excruciating it was worth it to see color slowly returning to the braided boy's face.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Duo stirred, burying himself deeper into Heero's arms with a tiny whimper. "Ow," he whispered, and Heero hugged him tighter.

"Stop almost dying," Heero stated, and Duo nodded.

"I'm tryin'," he whispered, hoarse but louder. "Damn 'lena...Hil..."

"They've still got Hilde, as far as we know. Dorothy was livid. We almost ran off to get you both, but Quatre talked us out of it," Heero said, and Duo made an effort to chuckle, although it sounded more like a dry heave. "Are you okay?"

"Feel like your horse sat on me," he murmured. "I'm not bleedin' now..." Heero nodded.

"I used our bond to take the wounds from you. I couldn't do anything about the exhaustion, or I haven't discovered how to yet," the blue-eyed boy said, and Duo sighed.

"I feel like shit," he grumbled, and Heero chuckled.

"You look it," he acknowledged. "Are you going to pass out before we can make it back to Rayth?"

"Yep."

"Want to stop somewhere first?"

"No. Big bed with you'd be best."

"You sound much better than when you woke up," Heero commented, and Duo looked up, a weak grin on his face.

"Well, that's good. I'm gonna pass out now and try not to throw up on you or the pretty white horsie." As Duo's head dropped back down to Heero's neck, the rider realized he was right. It seemed like he should have noticed Wing was white beforehand, since Duo could tell half-awake and mortally exhausted.

Wing trotted into Rayth and up to the Castle without a single movement from Heero. It had to be the most intelligent horse alive, since it also walked over to the side door for Heero and Duo to get off, and then walked itself over to the stable door, where it knocked for entry with its head. Flabbergasted stable boys led the self-satisfied mare trot herself into a stall, where she promptly fell asleep.

With Duo cradled in his arms, the bodyguard quickly strode up a neglected flight of stairs and through the near-waking halls of the Castle at four thirty, opening the mended double doors with minimal difficulty, and locking them just the same. He stripped Duo down, washed off the blood, and tucked him into the oversized bed after loosely rebraiding his hair.

When Heero moved away to go inform Treize of the prince's safe arrival, Duo's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "Get in the bed." Heero looked at him like he was crazy.

"You woke up to get me to climb into bed with you when you're an exhausted wreck who just avoided death again?" Duo rolled his eyes, and yanked Heero's arm harshly, pulling him onto the bed and, more specifically, right on top of Duo. The boy grinned devilishly.

"Damn right. Now get in and cuddle." Heero smirked.

"You're going to end up killing yourself like this." Duo's grin was immovable.

"Mmmm, death by Heero. Sounds tasty. Get in."

Heero was about to climb off when Duo's arms wrapped themselves behind his neck and pulled him down for a deep, long, agonizingly perfect kiss. When Duo finally pulled away, violet eyes hopeful, Heero was trying his best to glare, but only managed to look insanely turned on and mad about it (which he was). "Don't do that." Duo pouted.

"My lips were lonely." He rolled his eyes, and flicked off his shoes, crawling in next to the pleased prince.

"No kissing," Heero said in his no-nonsense tone, and Duo grudgingly nodded. But, when Heero finally drew the braided boy into his arms, his tongue ran across his ear. "No tongue!" Duo squeaked in protest. "No. Tongue."

"Fine. No tongue, mister sexy overlord man," Duo growled playfully, and Heero rolled his eyes.

"That's not helping you. Go to-NO BITING!" Duo, who had started to nip at the same delicious Heero ear, sighed in aggravation.

"You're no fun! All I got left's groping!"

"No groping."

"DAMN!"

Heero sighed. It was going to be a long night.

x---x

A/N: Wow! That was looong! So. Next chapter we have the fight! YAAAY! And I'm on fall break now, so expect that in a shorter amount of time than this one was. Now, on to...

READER RESPONSES (woohoo!):

TrenchcoatMan: Ahh, a fan of the smut, eh? My smut turns out more like porn, so that's obviously not something to go on a computer my family randomly uses.

Silver Cateyes: Ideas, you say? To take care of Relena? I'm intrigued...

Windy River: I'm insulted! You didn't even ask for the punch line! Well, it's "hi". So ha.

Priscel: Oooo! Explanation time! Alrighty, Duo doesn't know about the dog thing. Nobody does 'cept lil' Heero. It's just a coincidental comment that's supposed to hint at their connection. Confusing? A bit. I'm so glad you think it's funny! All this time I thought I was just amusing myself with my strange sense of humor...I think your other questions got answered in this chapter, so...thanks for reading!

The Rogue Prince: oh yes, a VERY large force. Huzzah.

Red Tail: Ooooh, I hope I convert you! I was converted to slash and let me tell you, it's _so_ much more fun to write. If you wanna go read a great fic to convert you, look for Acheronia Atropos (which, by the way, is NOT where I got Hilde's name from!); that switched me, even though there's no citrus. I'm so glad you persevered. And you complimented my writing and grammar again! Kudos to you!

Mlaine: Not a fan of winter? Hmmm...guess you're not a member of MY family! But, it does have colds, the flu, and all that nastiness...but snow! Christmas! Snowboarding/skiing! Hot tourist boys! Woo! It's always been a pet peeve of mine that the antagonists' plans are always 'kill, take over'. How boring and unoriginal, not to mention stupid! Wow...this got long...(BTW, my favorite season's actually summer. Go figure...)

Magical-flyingdragon: Well, you just have to wait to find out if Relena dies or not! Oh, the anticipation.

Mistress Koishii: Yep. Angry Hilde. Oh, shit, I just remembered I forgot to put her part in! Oh well. First thing next chapter!

Myca: I stand corrected. My worst Covert Relena Bashing's gonna be in Prodigy. You oughta just wait for that...muwahahah! I'm so bad.

THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!


	20. SPECIAL! Wufei

A/N: WOOHOO! Wufei's specially special! Ohhh, I'm too excited to write more at the top! Woo! This goes from his cadet days to Misadventures with Meiran. Oh joy!!

Warnings: the usual. Ruthless Bastard Wufei, Profanity, 5x2 (but it's in the past! 1x2 FOREVER!!!!), 5xMeiran. Kinda Ender-ish, too. (Shrug) Oops.

x---x

Sea of Silence

SPECIAL 5

Wufei

x---x

"I met her a year ago, when Duo and I were still partners. Trowa wasn't in the picture yet; he'd been off looking for his sister. I decided to take my ship off by myself, and we captured Meiran. She's the only person who's ever actually...hurt me. ANYWAY, I was livid and threw her overboard as soon as I was better. But, then the ship mutinied and I got thrown over too, so we swam to a nearby island. What happened happened, and we ended up getting married."

x---x

Sunlight slipped in through the boy's curtains, and he turned to the side, swatting the curtain with a quick strand of curses. But, before his hand could reach the shade, the door burst open with a deep, loud _thuck_.

"Alllright, ladies! On your feet," Heller roared, and the young boy snapped to attention, looking pathetically small compared to the other recruits. Then again, he was three years younger than them, and the only five-year-old in the whole complex. His clothes hung loosely on his body, the cuffs rolled up on both his pants and sleeves, and the only thing that fit him were the white socks which matched his uniform exactly. White pants, white undershirt, white shirt, white coat...

They said it was white because you could see blood easier. Wufei Chang, however, knew it was white because soon, you didn't notice the colors anymore. They all just faded into black and white...uniform, or weapon. Black was anything useful; knives, hats, belts...basically, if you could possibly kill someone with it, the Academy painted it black. If not, it was white.

Wufei held back a grim smirk. There was more than one way to kill someone with your socks.

"CHANG! What the hell are you smiling at," Heller snapped, and Wufei cursed his stupidity again. Apparently, his smirk hadn't been very well held back.

"Nothing, sir! Just thinking about my dream, sir," Wufei snapped, saluting the man, who laughed contemptuously at the younger boy.

"It's your first week here, right, Chang," he smirked.

"Yes, sir," Wufei stated, and Heller nodded.

"So, you don't know about what happens to kids with dreams, do you," he asked, almost snake-like in his hiss. When Wufei didn't respond, Heller grabbed him by the collar of his undershirt and dragged him down the barracks, the shocked eyes of the other recruits blatantly staring. With one quick heave, Wufei went sailing into the door, hitting it with a resounding crack as his inertia made them fall in on themselves. Heller mounted the wreckage to grab him by his short black hair, sneering. "Dreams get you killed, kid. Now get out of my sight for the rest of the month."

The boy's survival instincts kicked in, and he bolted out of the barracks building, taking the man's words as literally as he'd meant them. The nearby forest called to the cadet, and without hesitation, he soared beneath the canopy of trees.

Deep within, he found a hut, a man standing in front of it, seemingly waiting for him. "You're late," he stated. Wufei glared at him.

"No, I'm right on time," he snapped, before realizing he had no idea what the tall, bald man meant. "Who are you?" The man's face remained blank.

"Your teacher, for the month," he stated, and opened the door to the cottage. "You may call me O." Wufei stepped in.

x---x

"Justice, Chang! Always consider the right and wrong of an action," the man yelled, and the whip came down again. Wufei didn't even flinch, his black eyes staring mistily out to sea. Even at seven years old, he knew everything the Academy could teach him, save the art of navigation. It was the one thing he was staying for. All he needed was a little more-

"Thirteen!" the whip came down again. "Do you know what integrity means, kid? Do you even care?" He bit down harder on the gag as the air stung his new wound. It was always the same justice lecture, always the same rant about integrity and honor and obedience and answering to a higher authority-

"Fourteen!" again, the whip hit him. "Chang! Your pride will get you killed one day! You'll answer to a higher authority than us, one day!" Wufei couldn't help but roll his eyes, doing his best to ignore the pain. And next came his favorite part. Whip fifteen, the final whip, the "thank you sir may I have another" statement.

"Fifteen!" the leather came down again, and Wufei barely kept back a scream as it whipped across his side, and the tips hit his chest. "Someday, you'll thank us for this, Chang." The ties were loosened, and he fell to the ground with a thud, his brain repeating _ow ow ow ow ow ow ow_. Usually it didn't hurt that bad; clearly, they'd gotten a new, more skilled torturer for the difficult person he was.

His black eyes glinted. Difficult, and dangerous. He was always whipped, always fifteen times, whenever he nearly killed another of the older kids. It was his fourth time, and he couldn't be prouder.

Those socks really should have been black.

Sometimes, the pain was worth it.

x---x

He stood on the stage, indifference shining on him just like the silver metal they were placing on his white jacket.

"...and for extraordinary valor in the Broadmount Fire, we award the title of First Cadet to Cadet Wufei Chang," the Instructor droned on. Inside, he was sneering. A metal for saving an Instructor from his own stupidity. 'Oh, no, a campfire in a dry building won't cause any harm!' Idiots, all of them. He was ten, and nearly done with his naval training, thank whatever deity was up there.

Wufei was about to die from utter boredom, when the clapping and cheering expected began. And, as expected, he smiled and bowed, and when everyone was waiting for a speech, he walked over to the podium.

It had taken him a very long time to think of what to say, since his opinions on the Academy ranged from "useless" to "a waste of a good hell dimension". So, he said his speech.

"Thank you," he stated in the dry tone he'd developed. "Anyone else would have saved the Instructor and his barrack. I was merely in the right place at the right time." Damn, he'd just remembered he had to meet O that night. "Thank you again." Wufei stepped down, and hesitant applause followed him out the door.

As soon as the adults were out of sight, Wufei unbuttoned the white dress coat, leaving him in the dark blue shirt he'd smuggled in via O's random benevolence. Students in the halls stared at him, but he was used to it. As he'd been the only Cadet, which was the highest regular rank in the whole of the Academy, at age nine when most boys didn't reach it until eleven at least, he was used to it. And now, with that annoyingly shiny piece of shit on his uniform proclaiming, "I'm the best of the best", he'd be ripped apart by the Cadets, not to mention the First Cadets, of which there were only twenty of. Sadly, one of them had died in the fire.

Wufei smirked. Oops.

O was a puzzle Wufei saw no reason to solve. The bizarre man had tutored him, trained him, and taught him for the past four or five years (it was hard to keep track, after a while), and all he required in return was that Wufei take what he gave, and that his pupil be the best, with no doubts about his standing.

Inwardly, he shrugged. So Wufei was ruthless to get where he needed to be. It was the only way to survive in Academy. Besides, Darwin had been a pitiful excuse for a First Cadet, and had only managed to get there because he was thirteen and if you were thirteen and still at the Academy, you were either an idiot or irreplaceable. Darwin had been an idiot.

So, Wufei had taken his place. He'd had to let a boy die for it. Again, a mental shrug. The strong always replaced the weak. It was the true way of life.

It was justice.

x---x

"Hands on deck! I said HANDS ON DECK, you bastards! Get the fuck up," the first mate was screaming, and Wufei's eyes opened, blurry inside the military-issued white hammock. Hell, everything was military issue, from his green and blue uniform to his pathetic sword. He doubted the thing could cut through butter.

The twelve-year-old hopped out of the cloth hammock in a graceful way the other men could only dream of.

"Chang! Get to the helm," the first mate yelled, frantic. Wufei frowned, but the older man was quickly bustling him up onto the deck. This time, the black-haired boy didn't bother to disguise rolling his eyes. These idiots didn't know a damn thing about seamanship.

They bustled him over to the helm, and he grabbed it familiarly. O had taught him everything expertly; from how to walk the plank and survive to how to successfully scuttle your ship into another one (a tactic used commonly among pirates). The strange, quiet, bald old man had also been the reason Wufei was on a ship instead of on a pedestal back at the Academy.

As soon as his eyes cleared, he began to regret that decision. A trainee ship, just like his own, was aiming straight for the _Shenlong_.

"Shit, you people are stupid," Wufei grumbled. There was no way they could avoid the collision. "Brace for impact!" The crew obliged readily, and Wufei steeled himself for the break, planting his feet firmly in front of the ship's wheel.

At the screaming faces of children on the other boat, a wry smile came onto his lips. _Maybe twelve isn't that bad of a life expectancy, after all..._

The ship tore into him.

x---x

"...You okay, Duo," Wufei asked hesitantly. The younger boy jerked up, nearly falling out of the crow's nest, but caught himself.

"Holy shit, 'Fei! Don't sneak up on a guy like that," Duo yelled, shaking his head and propping himself up on the side of the barrel. Wufei smirked.

"Thought you were the experienced First Mate," he said, and Duo frowned.

"Shut up. I am, and you know it," he snapped. "What's with the 'Duo'? No 'Maxwell! We're going to talk, NOW!'" Wufei shrugged, smugly impressed at the imitation. Then again, they'd been living together for two years. It wasn't very surprising.

"I heard your fight with Solo about Trowa," he admitted. Duo snorted.

"Yeah, you and every other thing with ears for twenty miles around," he grumbled, and sighed, dropping his back down the side of the barrel. "So, what? You want the shitty story of my life, or just to say I'm loud?" Obviously, this was Duo Defense Mechanism # 4: Sarcasm. (Mechanism #1: Run. Mechanism #2: Hide. Mechanism #3: Kill.)

"I want to know if you're okay, damn it! Just get over the fact I'm your friend, and treat me that way," Wufei snapped, and Duo blinked at him. "You're a pirate! Act like it for once!"

"What the fuck does that mean? 'Act like a pirate'?! What, you want me to walk around with an eye patch and say 'Arrgh, matey! Thar be a wind a'blowin in me bones!'" He frowned. "Yeah, sure. And let's not forget YOUR profession, Pirate First Mate Wufei!" The black-haired boy sighed, shaking his head.

"I meant grow up, Maxwell," he grumbled, and began to climb back down, but stopped when his head was the only thing visible. "If you want to talk, I'm always here." Duo sighed, nodding.

"Thanks, 'Fei," he said, a smile tugging at his lips. Wufei gave him a quick smile, one of the secret ones only Duo (and Trowa once) could ever coax out of him.

"Maxwell," he said just for the satisfaction of the braided boy's pissed-off expression, and before Duo could throw something at him, he zipped down the rope to the deck.

x---x

Wufei glared at the girl, then at the retreating ship, and then back at the girl. She glared right back, face caught in a perpetual grimace. Clad only in her underwear and a red robe, her dark brown hair was pulled back into two low pigtails.

"Well, now that you've gotten rid of my only form of transportation, we're STUCK HERE," she yelled, hands going above her head in a burst of anger. Wufei was about to scream back at her, but the lack of hands let the robe fall to the side. Instead, his hands tugged the robe around her.

"DAMN IT, WOMAN! Restrain yourself," Wufei snapped. First Duo went to find Hilde a few months ago, dumping him in the process, and then Trowa went off to find Catherine the Circus Goddess... and now this...this...annoyingly rebellious, scantily clad, loud, beautiful, venomous spawn of Satan! He was tempted to pull his hair out-AND hers! "Take care of your own clothes! I do NOT want to look at that!"

She gaped at him, seething. "You insufferable bastard! I'm GORGEOUS, and you KNOW IT," she screamed, but took hold of her own robe. Glaring, Wufei marched back up the beach. In all his years, he'd never been more tempted to commit suicide, and that was saying A LOT. "Don't you walk away from me, you...! You...! COWARD!" He whirled back towards her.

"Listen," he hissed, holding his index finger up threateningly. "I could literally pull out your throat and feed it to you right now, I want to kill you so bad. It's because of you that my crew has mutinied, took the _Deviant_ from me, AND TURNED NOBLE! You turned a fucking pirate crew into decent sailors, you're so annoying! Even DUO couldn't do that!" He clenched his teeth. "And compared to Maxwell, you make the OCEAN look like a PUDDLE!" Her dark eyes scowled at him.

"Is that supposed to be some sort of indirect compliment," she snapped, eyes glinting dangerously.

"NO! IT'S AN INSULT!" Wufei screamed, and suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs. Then, he turned back up the beach and walked into the island's forest of palm trees.

"HEY! You get back here," she yelled, and ran after him. Wufei didn't stop, though. He just continued walking, until he reached a sandy clearing in the wood. Without a moment's hesitation, he started gathering the fallen leaves together and throwing them in a pile. "What are you doing?" He sighed.

"Making a fire, and shelter," he grumbled, throwing more leaves on. "Help, or get ready to sleep outside the rest of your life." She scoffed at him.

"Do you have ANY idea who my father is? Who I am?!"

"No! I don't! And I don't care, either! I'm Wufei the castaway, and you're the red underwear fairy, as far as I care," he snapped, and she glared at him.

"Well, if SOMEONE hadn't destroyed my ship and clothes, I'd be wearing something different!" He rolled his eyes.

"Like what? A GREEN robe?" The girl made an exasperated sound, and a rock flew at his head. A shocked look on his face, he fell headfirst into the pile of brush he'd been collecting.

---

He woke up surprisingly warm, considering it was night now...oh, shit. He looked around, and spotted the girl curled around her legs in front of the fire. Immediately, he realized his mistake. The girl knew how to make a fire, so she couldn't be all that useless.

It was only the muted sniffling that told him she was crying. Her eyes looked just as intense as they had that late afternoon, and the rest of her face was the same, but her nose randomly twitched, and a tear would roll down her cheek.

Wufei couldn't help but feel a twinge of remorse. She was probably just as scared as he was, if not more, and...he didn't even know her name.

"What's your name," Wufei asked quietly, and immediately the sniffling stopped. Her chocolate eyes were seemingly dripping venom instead of tears. "I'm Wufei Chang." Her eyes drifted back to the fire.

"...Meiran," she said simply, and pulled her robe tighter. "Sorry for hitting you with the rock." He couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm used to it," he chuckled. "I apologize for insulting you." Now, Meiran chuckled.

"I'm used to it, too," she smiled at him, and his heart fluttered a bit. From demon to angel in one throw of a rock...damn. He shook his head. No, it was just because he was stuck on an island with her. Nothing else. Just...island fever. Hell, it'd struck with him and Duo, so obviously it wasn't unheard of.

"Did you sleep," Wufei suddenly asked, and Meiran shrugged.

"I might have nodded off. It's sort of boring to watch you twitch in your sleep," she smirked, and he gave her a cool glare.

"I don't twitch," he snapped, and Meiran rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and I don't have hands," she said sarcastically. Wufei sighed.

"Shelter. We need to make something to sleep on, with a roof, until Duo comes," he said, and started to gather more leaves. Meiran frowned.

"Who's this Duo person? Some sort of saint," she snapped, and Wufei laughed.

"No, he's a pirate, and my...he's my brother," he decided. Hell, it'd been over for almost six months anyway, and Duo had always been his brother and best friend first, so it seemed like an accurate description. Wufei couldn't help but smirk. "Ever heard of Shinigami?"

"I DO have ears, you know. I think anyone who's ever been to the coast has heard of Shinigami the pirate," she grumbled, and then looked him over. "You're not Shinigami, are you?" Chuckling, he shook his head.

"No. That's Duo," he said.

All he heard was a muted "shit", and all he saw was the puff of sand that came with Meiran's sudden, girly faint.

---

It was five days more until Duo Maxwell showed up to save the couple.

And yes, couple. One thing had led to another...Meiran's robe had to be used for a tourniquet, a signal flag, and a roof for their little shelter, the shelter itself required them to sleep on top of each other, Meiran was just too astonishingly gorgeous...island fever had struck again.

Plus, living on an island for six days with the same person was really boring, and they had to find ways to entertain themselves. Most of these involved sex (after all, they ARE teenagers). And somewhere in the middle of all that stupidity, they'd managed to do the stupidest thing imaginable and fall madly, hopelessly in love with each other.

When Duo stepped off his ship, the first thing he heard was a girl's giggling, and the first thing he saw was a long red woman's robe stuck up on a pole as a signal flag. He frowned, Hilde at his side.

"OI! 'FEI! We're here," Duo yelled out, almost afraid to walk into a forest with giggling trees. But, the giggling stopped rather quickly, and a rather unkempt Wufei walked out of the forest, grinning. The pole with the robe suddenly disappeared, and both Hilde and Duo yelped and jumped back. "Holy shit! The forest's haunted!" Wufei shook his head.

"Shut up, Maxwell. The forest is NOT haunted. That's just Meiran," he explained, and Duo's eyebrow twitched up.

"Eh? You got a new imaginary friend," he asked, just as a disheveled woman walked out, grinning and decked out in red lingerie and a matching, ripped silk robe. She gaped at the sight of Duo.

"THIS is Shinigami?" Her gaze immediately slipped to Wufei. "THIS is the pirate who's going to save us?" Her hand immediately snapped to point at Duo, and Wufei was barely fast enough to restrain her robe.

"Mei...shut up," Wufei pleaded quietly with her, while the other two pirates were staring at the couple. Meiran slapped him across the face.

"HELL no! All this time, we've been waiting for HIM?!"

"DAMN IT, WOMAN! SHUT UP!" Meiran glared at him.

"YOU SHUT UP!" She tackled him, and they immediately started making out. Duo backed away.

"Ehm...that's nice..." He leaned over to whisper in Hilde's ear. "I thought he was my boyfriend?" Hilde shrugged.

"You did leave him for half a year." Duo shrugged, as well, and finally sighed.

"Alright, alright, break it up! So when's the wedding," he joked, and the two immediately stopped, staring at him with wide eyes. Slowly, their almost scared expressions turned to each other.

Hilde slapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh, crap."

x---x

A/N: I'm stopping there, 'cuz I figure you get the rest, and I have to go write a couple papers right now, so...yeah. Next chapter's the FINAL chapter! Oh no!

READER/REVIEWER RESPONSES/REPLIES:

Silver Cateyes: Ohh, I can't give anything away! That'd just be wrong! Hmmm...I wonder if there's such a thing as thumbscrews that pour boiling oil out of them? Now THAT would be cool!

Mlaine: Wow, that IS weird. I NEVER wear shorts. Hate 'em; make me look like...well, like I'm a skinny pale redhead. We get a blizzard here at least once every year, but I hadn't seen snow 'til I was about eight and we moved to CO. It's funny, I've lived all over, and the people who panic most about snow aren't those who've never seen it before, but Oregonians. They put chains on their tires if there's ANY snow. It's actually pretty funny. And isn't pregnancy ALWAYS a great excuse?

Windy River: I try! I really do!

Magical-flyingdragon: See? I did the Wufei special! No worries! And isn't the Mage just a downright bastard? Ugh! HATE him! Poor widdle Quatre...

TrenchcoatMan: I'd just like to say, you made me laugh so hard (at two AM), that I had a coughing fit and my mom WOKE UP, came into my room to see if I was okay, and made me laugh even harder. And I do NOT want to think of my parents...shudder oh god that's wrong. But hey, maybe I'll put up some of my good ol' fashioned smut for the heck of it.

The Rogue Prince: It's coming! I'm glad you're so excited!

THANKS FOR READING, PLEASE REVIEW! IT MAKES ME HAPPY, AND THUS YOU TOO! (AKA it makes me write faster...)


	21. Finale i

A/N: Please please please please forgive me, even though this is inexcusably, horrendously late. It's entirely my fault; I suddenly turned into a perfectionist. I solemnly swear it'll never happen again…but this is the last chapter, so, eh, forget that. Did I say I was sorry? Yeah. Oodles of apologies to all you peoples.

So, since this chapter's absurdly long, I'm putting it up in two parts, with all the start author notes on this one and all the end author's notes on the other one. I'm sorry to say it'll probably take me a week to get that up here, but it WILL be worth it. Or, at least I think so. (No, it's NOT done yet, but please. Have patience. It'll be good.) And the Warnings apply for both parts. Part 1's mostly fluff and plot. BTW, no more Epilogue. Sorry, but this just clears out any need/basis for one.

(This chapter reads a bit like the Specials, by the way, so be prepared to leap hours in a single "x---x"!)

Non-Standard Warnings: MASSIVE LENGTH!! Look at that scroll bar! Fluff! Gore! THE END! WOOHOO! Also, Duo gets kind of freaky (AKA OOC for this fic), but don't worry, it's for good reasons.

Sea of Silence

Chapter 16

Finale (Part 1)

x---x

Her eyes were misty. The world was wrapped in a silver haze, coasting beneath her dark blue irises. How long had she been here on the wall?

Once again, her hazy eyes drifted to the weapons in her lap. A crossbow, a few throwing knives, a sword…was it enough? She couldn't remember. How many did she need to kill? _Why_ did she need to kill them? It was all caught in the fog.

A flash of silken blonde hair, clear as day, flickered in her brain, and the mist thickened again, one name echoing clean in her world.

Dorothy.

They would pay for her death with their own. Flames lit beneath the fog. She wasn't Hilde. She was Atropos.

The Goddess of Death…

She wrapped the gray cloak around her again. Her entire outfit was gray, from the boots to the belt. She couldn't precisely remember where she'd gotten it, save a flash of honey hair intruding on her cell. It seemed fitting, though, to end others' lives and her own in such a simple, overlooked color. Neutral. Passionless. Remorseless. A cross between the white scars that littered her body, and the empty soul that now resided within.

She smiled.

It fit the Goddess of Death perfectly.

x---x

The field was simple. To the west, the ocean. To the north, a forest which shrouded Relena's Castle in a blanket of mottled shadows. To the south, the Algon army's much-neglected road back to Rayth.

Duo smirked. Not like they were even going to _consider _that option. Well, sure, everyone but Trowa had yet to come back, but hey. He trusted them. Besides, there was still a day until their big battle anyway, mostly because he was still barely able to sit on top of a horse without falling off.

He grinned. Not that he was going to complain about the treatment he got from it. Heero now HAD to be near him all the time. Right now, the bodyguard was behind him on Wing's saddle, arms wrapped tightly around Duo's waist.

Treize looked up at the prince and bodyguard from his station at the horse's side. "It'll do nicely," he stated, and Duo grinned.

"Damn right. Ships'll just slide right in there-" he motioned to the bay to his left. "-and Wu's forces can just glide in from the east. Relena's gonna be dead before dinner." Treize shifted uncomfortably, and Duo could feel Heero's glare. His own eyebrows rose a bit. "Is there a problem, Treize?"

"No, your highness. I'm merely concerned for our forces inside her castle already," Treize said, and frowned. "I have yet to receive word from them." Duo chuckled.

"Guess that means Dorothy really gets to go back in with her people, then," he said, and the blonde on the other side of Wing tossed a bit of hair behind her shoulder.

"It's what we should have been doing since the beginning, anyway," she said, barely keeping a tone of indifference in her voice. Everyone knew the bodyguard was out for blood, aside from herself. Her blue eyes turned to Duo. "My forces are ready to go whenever you wish." Duo nodded.

"Get moving." The blonde strode off, mounting her own gray mare and galloping towards Rayth and the Infiltration Team. Duo turned towards Treize again. "Field's yours. We have things to do, and the Troupe's already itching to get in position." Treize bowed slightly, and Duo rolled his eyes. "You do know you can stop doing that, right?" The ginger-haired man nodded minutely, clearly looking ticked off.

And he had plenty of reason to be, as well. Searching for fifteen years for the rightful King of Algon, and the boy didn't want it. And then, he had the nerve to name Treize the rightful ruler after the battle! The thought nearly made him want to strangle the braided boy.

Instead of strangling Duo, Treize bowed again, this time deeply. "You will always be the prince, ruler or no," he said ceremonially, and Duo groaned.

"Make it stop, Heero, make it stop!" Heero smirked.

"Your highness," he teased, and Duo turned around just enough to give him a good whack on the shoulder.

"Get moving, already! All this nobility shit's making me woozy, and not in a fun way," Duo said, and with another smirk, Heero had Wing on her way back to Rayth. As soon as Treize was out of sight, Duo let himself relax into Heero's protective arms. "I don't feel good." Heero chuckled.

"I know. Where to?" Duo sighed. Heero always went straight to the important details. His violet eyes idly traced the placid clouds in the sky moving briskly with the breeze.

"This whole big fight thing's tomorrow, right?" Duo looked back to see Heero looking at him with that 'you're an idiot' stare firmly in place. In return, Duo grinned. "Riiiight?"

"Right." Heero barely kept from rolling his eyes, and Wing seemed to agree with him, snorting. But, Duo was uncharacteristically quiet suddenly. Heero frowned. "Duo?"

"So, tomorrow could be the day we die, making this the last day we're alive," he said softly, absentmindedly leaning further into Heero's arms. The blue-eyed boy frowned, and Wing slowed to a walk.

Heero scooped his injured lover up and hugged him tightly, kissing the top of his head. "I won't let you die, Duo." Duo buried his head in Heero's shirt, smiling softly.

"That's not what I'm worried about. I just don't want _you_ to die- or any of the other guys. I'm so tired of everyone I love dying…" Duo sighed, but it quickly turned into a bitter chuckle. "Heh. This from Shinigami."

"You don't have to be the God of Death," Heero murmured, concerned for his pirate. Duo shifted.

"But I can't stop being Shinigami, either. I've been Death for so long, it seems stupid to try and change now," he shrugged. "Everyone I love dies." Now, Heero shifted uncomfortably for a bit, Wing trotting through the wood without a care. Finally, he sighed.

"Duo, before I met you, I was hollow. I was born and raised to kill, to be emotionless and efficient. You changed all that. You broke through eighteen years of instruction, and made me…alive, for the first time," Heero confessed. "I…" He paused, blushing deeply. Duo looked up at him, violet eyes glinting deviously.

"You…?" Heero tried to glare, but for once it just made him look helpless. Duo gushed at the sight. "Aww, c'mon, Heero! Say it!" Heero cleared his throat.

"I…" He was bright red, and even Wing and the trees seemed to be laughing at him. Duo was stuck giggling at the sight of his softening boyfriend being close to stuttering. "I…" With a growl, Heero gave up and just kissed Duo's heart into flip-flops. Actions spoke louder than words, after all.

When Duo's brain stopped spinning, he chuckled, repositioning himself in a decent position on the saddle (he'd been comfortably straddling his bodyguard). "I'll get you to say it. You just wait." Duo sounded so confident and devilish, Heero was almost scared.

x---x

Trowa sat uncomfortably in front of their smokeless fire, Catherine sharpening her massive pile of knives. Where was Quatre? True, his tribes were further away than Hell, but the blonde had assured him that they'd arrive at nearly the same time. And here it was, one day after he'd arrived, and sitting in his position for the assault with no word from Quatre. He was getting desperate.

Catherine sighed, and the knife she was sharpening fell into the pile. "Trowa, I know you're worried, but please. Try to relax. You're making the lions worry," she said, rubbing her temples. Trowa turned around to see his small army of lions staring at him and the heavy crossbow in his lap. He smiled softly.

"Sorry, Catherine. I'll try," he promised, and Catherine nodded in approval, brushing a bit of her bushy hair back. A large star earring hung from her left ear, and her clothing was made for flair and easy movement. Modesty was clearly rather far down the list…

Trowa didn't approve, but wasn't suicidal enough to tell his sister he though she dressed like a slut. Especially with a towering pile of knives next to her.

"TROWA! Stop fidgeting," Catherine snapped, and he blinked. Had he already been fidgeting again? He let his back fall onto the ground, the lions quickly curling around him.

Any lesser man would have whimpered. He missed his Quatre. His nosy, beautiful, kind, cuddly Quatre. How long had it been since they'd parted? A year? Two? More like a couple millennia…

"TROWA! God, you've only been apart for four days! Relax already, and concentrate on tonight. We're going to need the rest, and –STOP THAT!" Catherine could swear Trowa was pouting, arms holding one of the huge felines tightly, his face buried in Sage's golden curls. "If I'd known you'd go into Quatre Withdrawal, we'd have sent you back to meet up with him." Marcus, one of the other Troupe members, walked over, but Trowa was too busy missing his little one to notice.

"I'm not in Quatre Withdrawal," Trowa said softly, and Catherine's eyes rolled up to Marcus'.

'Denial', she mouthed, and Marcus barely stifled a chuckle, grabbing a few of the knives in Catherine's pile. "You know, I don't think that a pouting lovesick pirate's going to scare the enemy much, Trowa."

"I'm not pouting." Catherine rolled her eyes. He was hopeless.

x---x

"Knives?"

"Check."

"Check."

"Check!"

"Shhhh!"

"…sorry."

Dorothy sighed. "Lockpicks?"

"Check."

"Check."

"Check."

She grinned. "Anything else to forgot?"

The three thieves looked blankly at the blonde currently dressed entirely in black, from headband to corset and boots. Even her rapier was wrapped in a black cloth, light seemingly consumed by the color. The other thieves were dressed the same shade, to varying degrees. One thief was swathed from head to foot in black fabric, while the bouncy, happy third thief barely wore anything. The second thief, somber, wore a shade of dark brown instead, and was giving her hair a reproachful glance.

"We don't forget things on missions," the second thief said disdainfully, and the other two nodded. Dorothy shrugged, eyes glinting in a way that made the scantily clad Thief Three shiver.

"Let's keep it that way, then. Number one objective?"

"Extricate Atropos Noin." Dorothy nodded.

"Second objective?"

"Protect Atropos Noin." Dorothy nodded again, and then gave each of them a fierce glare.

"And what is in no way an objective?"

"…Protect Dorothy Catalonia." It was the cloaked Thief One that spoke this time, in a muffled, masculine voice. Dorothy nodded, satisfied.

"Get going in an hour. There shouldn't be any difficulties," Dorothy said, and stood up to give them a quick, respectful bow from one warrior to another. She hated how short her skirt was, but it was the only way to have the maneuverability she needed. Thief Three stood up hesitantly, and suddenly hugged her tightly.

"I respect your courage and loyalty," she said hurriedly, a lilting yet firm accent on her words. Thief Two was already working on the castle's back entrance. "But, don't do something stupid. Your hair's too pretty to die so fast." The young thief gave Dorothy a quick kiss on the cheek, and glided towards where the other two thieves waited patiently. She grinned, waved at Dorothy, and coasted through the now-open door.

Dorothy was grumbling with the best of them in her head. She wasn't a lesbian! She was just an…an Atroposexual? That just sounded odd. It wasn't even her fault! She'd thought she was a he, and he was a she, and by the time the truth was out she'd already fallen!

The grumbling continued as she strode towards the castle's front gates. As soon as she strode out of the woods, a guard called down hurriedly.

"HEY! Lady! Wha' you think you're wearing?!" Dorothy smiled up at the panicked man. "You do know there's an ARMY coming, righ'?" Her smile turned vicious.

"I'm here to speak with Relena," she said coolly, her aristocratic tone chilling the air. The guard looked over at his partner on watch, who shrugged.

Fifteen minutes later, the girl in the black miniskirt and tights walked into Princess Relena Peacecraft's private audience chamber. Dorothy couldn't help but be impressed. Every single pink curtain had been replaced with red.

Relena herself wore her honey hair in a tight bun, her tiara resting on her head. Dorothy gaped; she was wearing a white corset with a red shirt underneath, with a _far_ more decent red skirt on below it. Most surprisingly, a sword hung at her hip, and from the way Relena strode over with it on, the thing was clearly not just for show.

And from the way the princess' blue eyes were smoldering, Dorothy might get to see that first hand. This was NOT the Relena she knew.

"So, what brings you here in THAT outfit," Relena couldn't help but taunt, and Dorothy's chin rose up about an inch.

"You're one to talk," she snapped, and then sighed, her head dropping back down. "I…I'm sorry. I've been rather touchy, since…" Relena glared at her bodyguard.

"Since your…your…_kitty_ was taken away from you," she seethed. _What the hell…?_ Dorothy thought. _KITTY?!_ She didn't even want to know what was going on in her ex-employer's thoughts.

"Although I do miss Atropos, I'm here for a different treason," Dorothy finally said coolly, noting Lady Une's sudden appearance from one of the side doors. Her long brown hair was done up in two buns tied back with red ribbon, and every glance and movement she made told Dorothy that was one truly unhappy lady. "Although I hate you with a murderous passion, I swore many years ago that I'd protect you." She gathered herself up, standing as tall as she could muster. "Dorothy Catalonia, however much she wants to, does not go against oaths." _Sorry, Attie_, she thought. The girl hated when she outright lied.

Relena gave her bodyguard an appraising look. She looked tired, and lonely, but honest. And Dorothy did have that strange sense of honor and nobility inherited from Treize…She tilted her head to the side. But was the rapier-wielding woman safe enough? Admittedly, Relena had missed her harsh wit, and random harsh advice…and Dorothy had always been harsh to everyone, but seemed to have a reserved soft spot for her mistress and that annoyance locked in the courtyard.

And when said annoyance was finally killed, Dorothy would return to her old self, untainted and be Relena's best friend again.

The princess smiled at her bodyguard. "Welcome back," she said.

Dorothy smiled. "Thank you."

x---x

He felt like a phantom, and hated it.

Boots clashing against the high-priced tile of the Peacecraft Castle, Zechs Marquis was glaring at damn near every moving thing. He felt naked without his helmet, and invisible with the near-neglectful respect Milliardo Peacecraft was treated with. Another glare lit the air on fire.

He hated being Milliardo. He was stuck in an expensive tailored suit that fit him so well it felt uncomfortable. For as long as he could remember, his clothes had been off by just a bit, and now that they actually fit, it felt…wrong.

Zechs missed his freedom, and his long platinum blonde hair swinging against his back. For Relena's sake, he had put it in a low, loose ponytail, but that didn't help his mood much. He didn't even have his hair to hide anymore.

And Lucrezia Noin sure as hell wasn't about to risk her sister's safety for him. It was almost embarrassing how much they loved each other, but with Noin, Atropos came first. Attie had always come first, anyway. Noin was humbly noble like that. She put her own desires behind the needs of her family, and since her family consisted of two- or, as it now were, three- people, she tended to put them far above herself.

Right now, she was speaking with Lady Une. The two had practically grown up together, so if anyone could convince the Treize-obsessed woman to turn on Relena, it would be Noin.

Which left Zechs alone to cruise the expensive, frivolous corridors in his tailored boots, left with the sound of his footsteps and the buzzing of his thoughts, constantly circling around one tragically shaking thought, touching and then retreating again.

He stopped in the middle of the hall, his gaze turning to the two forces outside the window, and finally let his conscience sit on the landmine.

_WHOSE SIDE WAS HE ON?! _

On one side was the entirety of his conscious life, with his friends, his home…or was his home here with Relena, his only living relative? How could he betray his own sister? Sure, all his life he'd known she existed –how could he not have?- but now when he'd spoken with her, learned her deepest fears (the whole of the world plunging into the same fickle war as Algon and Sanc), and greatest hopes (to marry some Hero boy and bring peace to the two countries), he wasn't sure if he really could betray her.

But, Treize was also with Algon. His brother in arms and ideals, the ginger-haired gentleman had taken a young Zechs under his wing and sculpted him into whatever the hell he was now. And apparently Attie's brother was in Algon, and the rest of her real family…and even though the scarred girl had done a great job hiding it, he knew that Dorothy being in Algon meant Atropos would be in Algon, which meant Noin would be in Algon…and being the love struck fool he was, Zechs would end up running at her heels.

Without a thought for the Milliardo Peacecraft persona, or a care for who was around, Zechs started cursing like the sailor he was. Damn fucking emotions, and families, and motives, and politics. Why the hell couldn't they all just live in a big hole and blow everything else up? That's all he wanted…well, maybe a private hole for himself and Noin, but it was the principle of the matter! He'd easily die for Noin, but he couldn't just leave Relena to be betrayed again and again, until she finally fought and was killed…or worse.

He scowled. Everyone in Sanc had heard about the prince's threat to eat Relena's soul, and everyone in Algon knew his highness Duo Maxwell didn't lie. That combination couldn't help but awaken the overprotective brother inside.

An aggravated hand jerked forward and pulled his hair out of the ponytail. It was almost surprising how much better it made him feel. Stupid politics and secessions…if it was his choice, he'd kill whoever invented them and live happily the rest of his life.

A maid hurried past him, not even looking at the forgotten Crown Prince of Sanc. "Miss!" She didn't even look back, scurrying on her way.

That was it. Zechs Marquis strode to the nearest wall and banged his head firmly against it. _Dear lord_, he thought. _Kill me now_.

x---x

"Sandrock, if I may, we approach," the captain, a devout Quatre Worshipper, said with all due reverence, and the man in orange robes nodded, standing from his quiet counsel with men four times his own age. Out on the deck of the ship, it was dusk. The holy leader frowned. They were late. His cold blue eyes turned to the devout captain, who was shaking. "We made the best time we could, Master Sandrock."

A tense moment erupted between the two, until Sandrock nodded, and the captain nearly fell to his knees.

Quatre sighed. Duo's ship was so much better than this one. Plus it had Trowa on it.

That thought sent a painful twang through his heart. He missed him so much it was literally painful. The blonde had gotten far too used to the comforting presence of Trowa's warm, loving emotions blanketing him, and now the world seemed far harsher without it.

That eerie other sense began developing again, and Quatre barely noted the sudden swirling of the tide around his hired fleet. In his absence, his followers had increased, and only the fighters had gotten to follow in what they were terming the First Wave. Apparently, his followers thought there was some prophecy of him doing all this.

He held back a grimace. He hated those stupid prophecies. First throwing him into these stupid robes, and now sending him on some stupid cosmic exodus. Not that a strange sense of power didn't come from the Sandrock robes, or that he felt bad for leading his followers from the desert, but this was ridiculous. They were only there to help out Duo and Algon, and in the process cuddle with his Trowa.

His softening blue eyes stared out at the rising landmass, the turbulent sea around his fleet subsiding. Trowa was there somewhere, and he would see him again, and they'd live together for the rest of their lives, basking in the glow of each other's love. His eyes shut in the fantasy. There'd just be them, and a small lake, with a little house for them, and nearby would be a little house for Duo and Heero, and Wufei and Meiran would live across the lake (so as to avoid crashing objects), and everyone else would live nearby…

As the ships sailed even closer, he could hear the sound of random fighting within the castle. His fierce aqua eyes snapped to the captain, who whimpered. Quatre didn't even realize he'd picked the man off the deck in his anger.

"You will make ALL due haste to that continent," he whispered, and the tone was deadly. The devout captain began nodding his head vigorously, and with a sound of acceptance Quatre let the man fall back to the wooden floor. He scurried off, leaving Quatre to glare at the rest of the crew.

Inwardly, Quatre smiled. Trowa had been right; commanding sailors wasn't very hard at all.

x---x

"…And why are we here again," Heero asked, glancing over at the black-clad young man strolling next to him. Trowa's present, an inconspicuous silver tube, hung at Duo's belt in place of a sword, and a devious smirk seemed permanently ingrained on his face since he'd first attached it. His black coat had simple white trim today.

"I owe you a date still," Duo shrugged, smiling at his bodyguard. They were walking down another abandoned Rayth street, dressed in suspiciously fancy clothing. Heero himself wore black pants, a white shirt, and a green coat, all chosen by Duo. "I think you'll like where we're going." Heero frowned. "Awww, come on, Hee-babe! Don't gimme that look. After all this time, you don't trust me?"

"Trusting your idea of fun is another thing than trusting you," Heero responded, glancing around the barren cobblestone street. Duo's grin widened, and he pulled the older boy into an abandoned doorway, curling his fingers around the other boy's lapels.

"I'm gonna get you to say it, you know," he whispered, drawing Heero towards him, violet eyes shining in the shadows. A finger traced down the blue-eyed boy's cheek and trailed down to his neck softly, only for Duo to kiss his guard on the lips with a hint of tongue teasing the other boy's lips open. Heero couldn't help it; he shivered, and Duo nearly purred.

At the sudden arrival of footsteps, Heero tried to pull away, only for Duo to pull him back harder. "Duo, someone-" His words were cut off by the prince's lips again, and he finally gave up, wrapping his arms tightly around the black-clad boy. When Duo finally did pull his mouth away, he was humming in appreciation.

"Come on, babe," he whispered. "Get over it and say those stupid little words." Heero tried to glare, but it just turned into a desperate plea. Duo chuckled. "It's not that hard, you know." Heero tried to jerk away, but Duo had a firm grip on his belt and tugged him back harshly, glaring. "What the hell's wrong with you?! We both know it! Who's around to hear you say it? Do you have a…Heero?" The blue-eyed boy was avoiding his gaze, and fear grabbed hold of the braided boy. "Heero? Babe? You okay?"

Heero finally nodded, and pulled Duo into a soft embrace. "I did tell you I love you. You just couldn't hear," he whispered, lips brushing the pirate's ear. "You were dead, Duo. I don't want to think about that when I think of me saying those words to you, but I do." Duo bit his lip as Heero's suddenly tender voice went on. "But I'll tell you I'd die to make you smile. I'm hopelessly, mind-numbingly enchanted by you. And that every moment I'm with you, it's the happiest moment of my life, because you _are _my life." He brushed a tender kiss on his lover's neck. "Does that work? I know it's not those specific words, but-"

Duo cut him off with a fiery kiss, and when they finally separated a few minutes afterwards, Duo was smiling ecstatically. "Of course that works," he chuckled, and Heero gave him one of the peaceful, loving smiles reserved only for the pirate prince.

"Good," Heero said, and pulled away, grabbing Duo's hand and holding it in a comfortably tight grip. "Don't die again." Duo grinned, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek as he began to lead the older boy back towards their destination, hands firmly clasped together.

"I wouldn't dream of it. Besides, if I died, you'd die too, and that'd just be a pain," Duo chuckled.

Fifteen minutes of walking, they arrived at their destination, and Heero's gaze immediately snapped to Duo. "You have to be joking," he stated, but Duo just grinned at him and pushed him into the rowboat.

"You said I could choose as long as I paid," he said indignantly.

"And it was safe. This is just asking to be boarded and killed." Duo chuckled again, rowing them towards the Deathscythe. A minute of silence passed between the two, and Duo expertly tied the black rowboat to the ship's side.

"The crew has the night off," the braided boy said conversationally. "Just if you were wondering."

"I wasn't. Do I need to ask who gave them the night off?"

"Nah. We both know." Heero smirked, and they both climbed off the rope ladder and onto the swaying deck. "Oh! Wait!" Duo scrambled back down to the rowboat and came back up with a bag in hand and a dangerous grin. At the bodyguard's hesitant look, the braided boy innocently pulled out a box of chocolate covered cherries. His grin widened although his eyes still tried to feign innocence. "Imports. I have a friend in the business."

Heero eyed the rest of the bag. "And what's the rest?" Duo's grin turned to a smirk.

"You just have to wait for that, don't- Shit! Put me down!" Heero grabbed the bag too, and slung it across his other shoulder. Duo whacked the other boy playfully. "Aren't we a bit forward on the first date?" Heero smirked, and carried him into the captain's room. After slinging him onto the bed and kicking the door shut, his blue eyes glinted.

And with a final motion, the door was locked.

x---x

"…Are you sure about this," Three asked, eying the still courtyard, only for One and Two to shush her. She glared back at them.

"She's here alright," One whispered through his robes. "I can feel it. There's a bit of movement in the air." Two nodded, and Three was quick to follow.

Clapping erupted from the corner behind them, and a woman in gray strode out, hands elegantly meeting each other and withdrawing again tauntingly. The three thieves tensed, each with their weapons out the moment she'd started to clap. The woman smirked.

"Congratulations. You found me!" She pulled out a knife, and without another sound it seemed to disappear and then reform straight in Two's chest. He looked at her indignantly, and dropped to the tiled courtyard floor. "Want a prize?" One stepped forward.

"Atropos Noin, we are-or, were, at least-the Three Thieves. We've come to get you out of here, under orders of the Guildmaster and Do-" He was cut off by the glint of metal in the shadows. Atropos pulled the full-length sword. Three rolled her eyes.

"Attie, put the weapons down. Dorothy sent us," she snapped, and the sword clattered to the tile. Her now-clear eyes widened, and she ran forward, grabbing onto Three's skimpy outfit.

"Where is she? She's alive? When did you see her last? Is she okay," Atropos began, and Three barely kept from rolling her eyes.

"You just killed my brother, you know," Three accused, her accent firmly in place. "You're lucky you're cute, you know that?" The gray-clad girl blinked at her, head tilting to the side. After a moment, she smiled.

"I'm sorry, Three. I plead sorrow-ridden insanity. So, please tell me where Dorothy is," Hilde said, eyes widening into the Puppy Dog Look. Now, Three really did roll her eyes.

"She didn't say anything, other than to not try and save her. My bet's she went off for Relena," Three shrugged, and Hilde's expression began to mist over. "No no no no no! I'm sure she's okay, she was just getting herself in position for her own revenge." Hilde nodded, backing away and letting Three retain a bit of her modesty.

"I'll be joining her then. The battle starts tomorrow at dawn, right?" Three and One nodded, while Two twitched one final time on the floor. Hilde grinned. "Okay then. I'll be hiding out in the Castle. You take Two out of here and bury him, and if you'd like to I could use some backup." One immediately shook his head.

"We don't have that authority. We were told to save Atropos Noin, and that was it. We have to take you out of here," One said, voice muffled but intelligent. Hilde beamed at him.

"Well then, it's a good thing my name's Hilde then, isn't it?"

x---x

A/N: Okay, Finale Part Two will be out REALLY soon, I swear. If not, feel free to stone me to death. One week or less. I promise. Sorry this chapter's just about pure fluff and all that; it's Pre-Battle Fun. And I was going to try and write some 1x2 citrus, but…it just wouldn't write. Gosh, I apologize a LOT, don't I? Sorry. D

And you'll find out if it's the Happy Ending or the Cool Ending on Part 2. Heh. I'm so evil.

READER RESPONSES (huzzah!):

Magical-flyingdragon: Well. I'm so glad you think it's cool and original, but I'm also so sorry I didn't update soon and all that.

Silver Cateyes: Ahh, compliments (Basks in the glow). I sent you one of The Emails, and you responded, so...(Gives cookie). Eat voraciously.

Mlaine: IMPORT SNOW?! How the hell do you do THAT? And why would a school district spend money to do that, anyway? That's like exporting sand. Then again, my school's ridiculously cheap and I live in a rather frigid climate. (High altitude and all that.) OH! Thanks for the Email helping (gives cookie).

Windy River: Heh heh heh…Oops!

TrenchcoatMan: Demand a cookie, eh? (Gives yummy yummy cookie.) I'll definitely check out your story when I have the time; term papers and all that stuff.

Lost-Remembrance: Awww! You think my story's good! (hug!) Oh, LOTS of Heero in Part 2.

ZmajGoddess: I try to update with all due haste, but it never works. What can I say? Love/hate is just so much fun to write.

The Rogue Prince: It's so ironic that the one time you give me your email is the one time I can't read it and actually email people. Part 2's the thing for you. Hey! That rhymes!

Danilion: A NEW FAN! YAAAY! Thanks for reading! AND reviewing! You like me! You really like me! Hooray!!

THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Part 2 in a week or so, I SWEAR!

Oh, and Koishii gets a cookie, too. ;)


	22. Finale ii

A/N: Final chapter! sob And yes, it's horrendously late. But for very, VERY good reasons. Not only was my computer taken away for four days, but yet again, my family has yet another medical crisis…and I had a mini meltdown. Heh. Sorry. So, to make up for it, I added this first scene in. It has so much fluff it'd give a Chihuahua a hairball.

Also, there's a wee bit o' time skipping. Forward, and back. Some scenes are happening at the same time as others, so be a bit careful, but I still tried to make it as obvious as possible. Hence the italicized flashback, and the ---(25 minutes or so earlier)--- thingy.

(Oh, credit for the "everything's coming up Duo" line goes to the Simpsons' Milhouse, also known as Thrillho. Heh. Alright, back to your normal programming.)

(And please, read the last A/N at the bottom. Last...A/N...breaks into tears)

x---x

Sea Of Silence

Chapter 16

Finale (Part 2)

x---x

Light wafted through the black shutters, showering the cabin with a musky illumination. Random crates were piled neatly into a wall around the locked door, with a white sheet thrown over them for good aesthetic measure. The floor was littered with random clothes and items, and the entire sea-faring room smelled of sunshine, sex and strawberries.

On the bed in a tousle of white linen and unbound chestnut hair, Heero Yuy was smiling. His eyes were open drowsily, cheek resting against the top of his love's head, and his arms were wrapped loosely yet protectively around the sleeping figure of Duo Maxwell, who was seemingly trying to absorb himself into the tan skin he slept on. Arms thrown haphazardly around his bodyguard's chest, he slept with a grin on his face and a new shiny silver ring on his finger that matched one Heero wore as well.

They were simple rings, really nothing more than metal shavings melted into bands, but it was that simplicity which made them remarkable. There were no stones, no markings, and no decorations. Anyone who saw one without the twin wouldn't give it a second thought. But together, the rings outshone a full moon.

Duo hummed a bit as he woke up, violet eyes sliding open at a dead snail's pace. "Hmmm," he hummed again, and nearly purred when Heero began to absentmindedly stroke along his spine. "Guess we oughta wake up." Heero nodded, his fingers still sliding up and down Duo's back, and violet eyes closed again, reveling in the morning. "So…today's the big fight."

"Everyone's waiting," Heero acknowledged, pressing his lips to the top of the pirate's head. Duo chuckled, maneuvering himself so that he was entirely on top of the other boy now. Violet eyes glinted hypnotically.

"Think they can wait a couple more hours?" Heero's smile widened.

"Of course they can. Besides, you're the prince." Duo smirked.

"Damn right I am."

Now it was Heero who smirked, and they fell back into their usual mode of conversation- banter. "That remains to be seen." Duo nodded sagely.

"Yeah, I'll admit you kind of owned last night," he acknowledged, and Heero's smirk deepened, but Duo's violet eyes remained a constant purple blaze. Without a second of hesitation, his lips came down onto the more than willing Heero's, leaving a tantalizing, hauntingly passionate but far too brief kiss. "Today, however…" He grinned. "I'm feeling mighty spry."

"Hn. We have to see about that." Heero's hands slowly drifted further down, while Duo's were wrapping themselves around the blue-eyed boy's neck. The pirate's unbound hair showered around them like a curtain of coffee.

"War, then?" Heero nodded seriously, but his eyes glinted with amusement.

"War."

x---x

Wufei Chang, standing coolly at the rear of the loosely Algon forces, frowned. An eighth of the army was decked in the white and blue of Algon, while the rest was in the dark gray and black of Fou Lu. Somewhere in the mass of people were about a hundred and fifty men who knew him for more than his name. And he had intentionally scattered them around, too. It was better to not bias himself towards one group. Instead, he had effectively biased himself towards all groups.

"Where are they," Treize muttered under his breath, casting irritated eyes around the field and surrounding forest in search of his quarry. Wufei glanced at the older man.

"Who? If it's Maxwell and Yuy, they won't be showing up for another fifteen minutes, at least," Wufei said dryly. He knew that Duo loved a good morning after and wouldn't do a thing to spoil one, including being on time to go destroy Sanc, and more importantly Relena. Treize nodded.

"So. How do we know when to attack," he asked, glancing down at the maps and diagrams sprawled across a nearby collapsible table. Wufei barely kept his temper in check.

"This is war, Steward. I was under the impression you'd seen your share already," Wufei said icily. Treize looked up at him.

"I have, but I never participated in a battle like this," he said, gesturing to the field of two forces. Sanc's army had gathered over the day, unwisely choosing to defend the castle instead of attacking the once-disordered enemy. "Relena may be young, but she isn't stupid. There's obviously another reason why she hasn't tried to kill us just yet. I just can't find the tactic. And all my war experiences were sudden battles where you fought as you went, with no real tactic save survival." Wufei nodded. They would make a good team for commanding Algon's extremely varied forces.

"Do we wait for them," Treize asked, and Wufei shook his head.

"No. They'll arrive later than we can afford," he responded. "Maxwell loves a chance to go down in glory." Treize frowned, and Wufei smirked. "Duo's going to be heading straight for Relena. When he gets involved, he's all the way."

Treize nodded, and motioned a lieutenant forward. "Give the command," he said, and with a hurried, excited bow, the lieutenant trotted off to yell at the buglers to sound the advance. A great copper call went up from the horns, and with a roar the army began to pick up speed.

Their feet pounded against the grassy field as they sped from a walk, to a jog, and then an all-out run towards the Sanc forces. Dust and dirt was thrown behind them, and the run seemed to stretch out to eternity. Sanc swiftly followed their lead, jogging forward to meet the other army in a crash that sent men sprawling onto the trodden earth.

Wufei had picked up his katana and was striding down the hill when Treize suddenly realized he was gone. "Chang," the older man yelled. "Where are you going?" Wufei smirked, still strolling down the slope.

"To lead them my way. The command is yours," he called over his shoulder, ignoring the Steward's other words.

The army parted like a sea of wheat where he walked, the men pausing for a moment to stare at the young man in white whose very presence roared dangerous. The single black cord around his left shoulder let them know he was a general, and _their_ general. The hurricane of Wufei sliced through a Sanc major like butter, blood spattering his white outfit like rain in the wind.

Wufei's heart was barely beating faster than before at the command post. Slice, jab, jump, cut, roll, throw, run. He did the exercises every day, and even with his hair dripping blood, there was a sense of peace in the movements. This was where he belonged, here in the fray, not up on the hill with all the tacticians.

Breaking from his deadly trance for a moment, he couldn't help but spit curses out at the field. Even in his own violent pile of dead enemy bodies, he could tell Algon was losing, and losing badly.

All thoughts were interrupted when a man with nearly twenty cords on his shoulder walked towards him, glaring ice at Wufei, who smirked back. Returning to his 'ready' position, his smirk turned into a dark grin. "Come," he snarled, and the man screamed, running forward. Wufei met him with a clang of bloody steel, still grinning.

The man- probably a general from the cords- suddenly whipped out a second sword, and Wufei took no time in swiftly swiping his sword up and away, using the curve to all of its advantage. Slicing violently, the general approached, and with one perfect lunge, his sword aimed straight at the enemy general's heart.

Instead of delivering a fatal blow, the blade shattered as it cut through the white ensemble.

Wufei grinned. He reached behind him with his left hand, and with one quick flick of his wrist, it was done. The general gaped at the blood-covered teenager as he fell back into the circle of dead, joining their ranks with one of Wufei's throwing stars still stuck in his throat. There was a momentary lapse in the battle around him, so Wufei cleaned his sword on the man's ornate coat, admitting to himself that the man had been good, only to curse again.

The copper horns blared the 'fall back' command, and the Algon forces obeyed.

His black eyes snapped back to the hill, where Treize was visibly grinning, a ridiculously huge man in a dun robe at his side. _He knows something_, Wufei thought, and his eyes snapped back to the walls of the Peacecraft Castle, where barely-visible clowns and circus performers were scaling the walls, other robed figures helping the process along.

His curses immediately fizzled away, replaced with a satisfied silent smirk. It was about time Quatre's forces arrived.

Deciding to obey just for the chance to see the events unfold, Wufei hurried back up the hill. Treize didn't say a word about his now red ensemble, merely nodding. Wufei nodded back. "When did Quatre get here," he asked, and a strangely disturbing grin settled on Treize's lips.

"You'll know when Quatre gets on the field. This is just his men," Treize said coolly, and one of Wufei's eyebrows rose, both appraising the tall man and the swarm of cloaked figures emerging from the Algon side of the forest.

"Then where is he?"

Treize just smiled.

x---x

Relena Peacecraft cursed for the third time in her life as the desert-colored figures ghosted out of the trees. Burning blue eyes turned to the advisors on her left side. "Who are _they_?!"

Lady Une was the one to respond. "I don't know," she said, meeting Relena's own eyes with cold brown indifference. "We have enough forces to deal with them, my lady. We will still win."

"Don't be so sure," Dorothy said, rising from the armchair she'd taken up residency in for the battle. She'd brought it up to the parapet herself, and refused to let anyone else sit in it, claiming they should have brought their own if they wanted it.

Relena frowned. And she was still wearing that horrifically indecent outfit! Dorothy Catalonia was certainly not shy about her body, _that_ was certain…

"Now it's more of a fight than a massacre," Milliardo shrugged, leaning in one of the archer's windows. "You work harder is all. You can still win, it just takes more effort."

"Which is polite brother talk for 'you're probably going to die if you don't get your ass in gear'," Dorothy put in cheerily, and Relena glared back at her bodyguard. Dorothy smiled back cheerily. "I just love war, don't you? Absolute peace through absolute destruction. Brilliant concept. Kill everything that doesn't agree with you, and-"

"Dorothy, your derision is NOT helping right now," Relena snapped, and Dorothy laughed softly.

"On the contrary, it's helping immensely. Where's your mind right now? On your battle for peace, or your anger at me?" Relena opened her mouth to snap the annoyance back into her place, but quickly shut it. Instead, she settled for a dark glare. Even though Dorothy was right, she didn't have to like it.

"Get out of my sight," she growled, and Dorothy raised an eyebrow up.

"Dismissing your noble servant, are we?" She chuckled, flicking some hair behind her shoulder. "I see. You think removing the doubts from your point of view will make them go away. How quaint."

"Dorothy…" Relena growled warningly, and her hand went to the thin sword hanging at her side. With a sigh, Dorothy rose elegantly, bothering to curtsy deep and mockingly before walking down the stairs.

Relena sighed, and immediately slumped down into the armchair. Milliardo was quickly at her side. "Relena? You don't have to do this. We can stop it." She glared at him, too.

"You're all free to leave at any time," she snapped, barely noticing the roar of meeting armies on the field. "Go! Leave! I can do it myself." She slid gloomily down into the chair. "I always end up doing it by myself anyway." Milliardo sighed, and Lady Une slipped down the stairs, unnoticed as she pulled off hr glasses and began to untie her hair.

"Relena, I'm here to help you. But, remember the goals first. What are you trying to accomplish," he coaxed. Relena's light blue eyes flicked up to the cheery sky, heedless to the cries on the battlefield (which Lucrezia Noin was watching raptly).

"Peace," she whispered, barely noticing the breeze curling around her. Milliardo smiled softly.

"And do you think they'll be peaceful after we beat them into the ground?" Relena snorted.

"That's why they all die," she said without a hint of remorse. "War's a forgivable, honorable death. They chose to be soldiers, and they'll die for the greater good." She glanced at the field, where Sanc was putting up a brave fight, and nearly winning. Algon's hodgepodge didn't know how to fight together at all. "Everyone dies at some time, anyway." Milliardo tensed.

"And what about your own death?" Relena shrugged, staring him coolly in the face.

Zechs suddenly realized this wasn't the young, disillusioned princess he'd heard about. This was a queen, and one whose will could break the oceans if she needed to for her goal. Her light blue eyes were stony in determination.

"If my death would bring about peace, I would gladly give my life."

And then, hell arrived.

x---x

Quatre nodded in approval at the mayhem, Wufei grinning darkly on his right.

"Master Sandrock, I suggest you return to the ships," Rashid said hurriedly, and Quatre shook his head, letting a smile form on his lips. A hint of comforting warmth brushed against him familiarly, even at this distance. Trowa was close.

"I leave command in your hand, Rashid," Quatre intoned, and glanced over at Wufei, who was nodding. "You're coming with me? I thought you were the general." The black-haired boy shook his head.

"Officially, I'm the general, but Khushrenada has everything under control," Wufei stated. "And I'd prefer to be somewhere I'm needed. I don't like being bored." Quatre couldn't help but grin, the royal orange Sandrock robes all but forgotten.

"I guess that's one of the reasons you married Meiran then," he piped up, and Wufei glared at him. Quatre, however, didn't notice. "She's rather fiery, isn't she?" Wufei's smirk turned into a quiet, fond smile, his eyes turning to the ground beneath them.

"More like a pigheaded brat," he muttered, smile growing no matter how hard he tried to scowl. Quatre smiled.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said cordially, and in a moment a part of the Peacecraft Castle's wall was ripped apart and Quatre was grinning again, a bit sweaty from the exertion but still almost creepily cheerful. "So, off to see Trowa then?" Wufei shrugged, and the two slunk back into the trees, leaving a very displeased Rashid behind them.

x---x

A right index finger hooked, and jabbed while pointing to the nervous-looking guard in the hall. A head of fluffy brown-red hair nodded, and a scantily clad, sultry woman stepped out of the shadows, smiling softly at the guard. He jumped into the air when he finally noticed her.

"What are you doing, eh," he asked, looking around nervously. Catherine Bloom laughed softly. "Civilians were evacuated two days ago." She began to twiddle with the huge star earring.

"Who ever said I was a civilian," she teased.

Trowa, in the shadows, rolled his eyes. She loved being a shameless flirt.

The guard looked her over, still wary. "I say you're a civilian," he finally stated, and immediately his posture melted into that of a military man. "By orders of Lady Peace-" He was cut off as a tiny dagger punctured his throat. Eyes blinking indignantly, he fell to the floor.

Catherine sighed. "And I was so close, too," she grumbled, pulling her knife out. Trowa stepped out while she wiped her knife off on his jacket. Her annoyed dark blue eyes turned towards him. "You have any idea how long it takes to really lean these things?" She waved the knife around in front of the lion tamer/pirate's face. Trowa nodded as seriously as he could.

"And it was either that, or I killed him," he reminded her. "You were the one who demanded it was your turn." Catherine blinked at him.

"But it WAS my turn!" Trowa just shook his head, striding further into the Castle. His custom crossbow was slung across his shoulders casually, and a far too familiar comfort came from its presence. That and his knife were all he had with him, and it was all he'd ever needed.

"It was actually my turn. You took two on the walls, and-"

A body slammed into him-hard-and Trowa ended up sprawled on the ground, a gray figure on top of him. Dark gray eyes blinked down at him, and suddenly the scarred girl grinned. "TROWA!" Hilde Schbeiker's arms were flung around him, and Trowa fell back down yet again. "Oh, Trowa, I'm so glad to see you again! I barely got any time with you at the party, and now you're here, and I'm soo happy! OH! But I have to go kill Relena and get Dorothy." Hilde stood up quickly, still grinning.

"Before you go," Trowa cut in before his sister-well, _other_ sister-could bound away, and pulled Catherine forward. "Hilde's knife things?" Catherine blinked blankly at him.

"_Knife things_?" Trowa was about to glare at her in irritation, but Catherine pulled through, holding out Hilde's bizarre knives. The girl beamed at the two of them.

"Oh, thanks! I've been having to make do with all of Two's equipment," she said, and grimaced. "I swear, I'll never look at a fish hook the same was again. So! I'm off then! BYEEEE!" Hilde waved, and scampered off, attaching the three-bladed knife things to her hands.

Catherine stared at the hall Hilde had just been in, and then her gaze shifted to Trowa. Trowa stared back, and shrugged.

They continued on their way, only to run into two other familiar figures very quickly.

"That's not the right way," a familiar voice called out, and a _very _familiar voice growled.

"Well you're not much of a help either! Probably couldn't find your way out of a canoe…" Trowa and Catherine rounded the corner to see Duo Maxwell cursing at a lock, pick in hand. Heero leaned against the wall next to him, surveying for danger. Heero just nodded at the two, having heard them quite some time ago. The door unlocked with an audible click, and Duo yelled in triumph, opening the door. Violet eyes blinked at Trowa and his sister, then grinned. "Hey guys! How's the battle going?" Trowa shrugged.

"As expected. Well, and Relena has no idea what's going on yet," he replied. Duo nodded, and gestured for Heero to walk through the door.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I think I've found the separate way up to Relena's crappy Parapet of Doom or whatever she calls it," Duo shrugged, choosing to ignore the fact that Heero remained in place and not through the door like a good bodyguard should have been.

"Hilde's free, healthy, and Hilde again," Trowa added as an afterthought, and Duo grinned, eyes shifting to Heero.

"See?! I told ya! Everything's coming up Duo!" Heero smirked, and Duo fake-frowned at him. "Shut up."

"Yes, majesty." Duo punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Idiot." Something glinted in the torchlight, but Trowa was forced to ignore it when, yet again, something slammed into him. But this something had blonde hair and he was head over heels in love with, so it was okay.

"TROWA! Oh, I've missed you so much," Quatre exclaimed, and Trowa took no time in planting a heavy, deeply passionate kiss on the other boy's lips. When Quatre was busy giggling afterwards, Trowa hugged him tightly, taking a second to glare at Catherine, who was laughing hysterically in the corner.

"Don't leave again," Trowa whispered, and Quatre nodded into the crook of his neck.

"Okay."

After a few minutes of just sitting there and holding onto each other (with Catherine snickering in the corner), Trowa let him go and stood up, smiling. Quatre was positively glowing at being with Trowa again.

"Well, I'd say with Duo, Heero, and Wufei on the job we're not really needed to go kill Relena too," Quatre shrugged, and Trowa grudgingly nodded. "Would you like to meet Rashid? He's _dying_ to meet you."

x---x

Dorothy Catalonia sheathed her rapier in the same smooth movement she had used since getting the sword. Long platinum blonde hair back in a long, tall ponytail, she had added a silver necklace to her ensemble from the night before. It was simple, but absurdly dangerous to be wearing. But she had never expected anything different when stealing the Crown of Sanc. Contrary to popular belief, crowns weren't always big heavy hats put on a monarch's head. Sometimes, they were a simple pearl pendant hanging from a silver chain.

She stared wistfully out the window, watching the life-or-death struggle playing out on the now-brown field. All those people, dying for countries that barely admitted they were alive. Was this all war was? A beautiful backwater dance nobody dared to question or point out?

There was a knock on the door, and her rapier swung out again, eyes fixed on the door. When it didn't open, she growled and walked over to it, wrenching the door open so hard it bent. All that greeted her was an empty hall. Muttering curses, she turned around, and jumped nearly two feet in the air.

Atropos lounged in an armchair, looking out the window with a bittersweet smile. "Hiya, Dorothy," she whispered, looking almost afraid to approach her best friend. Dorothy stepped forward, and the assassin flinched, half out of the chair. The scarred girl chuckled nervously. "So, uh, how's life on the inside?" Dorothy sheathed her rapier, sitting down warily in the other armchair.

"I could ask you the same," Dorothy said calmly, fingering the Crown of Sanc absentmindedly. Hilde chuckled uneasily.

"I remember everything now," she said hesitantly, and the blonde frowned.

"I thought you already did," Dorothy said, and Hilde shook her head.

"Nah, only flashes. I was still blocking out some of the more…vivid details," she said, a false smile weakening on her lips. A brief shudder passed through her body.

Solemn silence enveloped the room as they ignored the screams from outside.

"Do you want to talk about it," Dorothy asked calmly, and after a moment of hesitation Hilde shrugged.

"Might as well," she sighed, but before the gray-clad woman could say another word, they both sprung to their feet.(1)

Screams erupted from above, and a blur fell in front of the window, streaking towards the ground.

x---x

(15 minutes or so earlier…)

Today was NOT Trowa's day.

Admittedly, things had been going rather well. Quatre at his side (since Catherine had to check up on the troupe's well-being), the two had been slashing their way around towards the back door, where Trowa's lions waited patiently for their master to open the door and allow them to play.

And he'd arrived at the door fine as well. He'd opened the door, introduced each and every lion to Quatre, and the two had traipsed into the castle, killing anything belonging to Sanc with their hands clasped together, lions strolling smoothly along with them.

And then, things had just gotten bad.

One minute they had been easily slicing up some poorly-trained guards, and the next the army had begun its reintroduction to their supposed stronghold as the Algon forces now combined with Quatre's tribes slammed against the Sanc forces, effectively shattering the enemy's hope of victory. Forced into the castle only to meet a blonde boy in orange robes holding hands with a tall brunette pirate and nearly twenty lions surrounding the two, they'd begun to fight.

And they were _still_ fighting, damn it.

Quatre was hurling whatever was in a fifty-foot radius at the men, sweating from the difficulty. Swords unsheathed themselves and stabbed their owners, men were slammed into the walls by empty air, and lions leapt insane distances. Trowa himself was firing deadly arrows with astounding accuracy at anything in Sanc colors, which more often than not was yet another guard rounding the corner and screaming for backup. His lions were more red than gold now, and seemed to be enjoying themselves as they batted around the humans.

"We've got to get out of here," Trowa yelled out, firing again, and Quatre nodded, sweat-slicked blonde hair sticking to his forehead. Years of inactive telekinesis had crippled his ability, and after only having a week to practice, he was far behind his old level of power. Green eyes flicked to the swamped central hallway, where beyond lay the field of clashing countries. "Can you push all that back enough for us to get through?"

Quatre shook his head, gesturing with his hands, and twelve knives turned on their masters. "Not through there," he said, close to breathless. Twelve dead men fell to the floor, only to be quickly pushed out of the way by more soldiers and guards. The ball of warm love and tense concern that was Trowa wavered in his mind. "Side door."

Trowa's eyes glanced at the near-forgotten hallway to their left, where a side door stood behind a far smaller number of Sanc fighters. "On one." Quatre nodded, and Trowa gestured the Lions back to him. They grudgingly slunk forward, still pleased with themselves, and Trowa noticed at least five of them were missing. But, they didn't have the time.

Quatre's aqua eyes burned with power. "ONE!" Men screamed as they were launched violently into the wall, and the young men bolted for the door that shattered from a near-uncontrolled burst of the exhausted blonde. On the other side of the door, men were rocketed away nearly fifty feet into the air, and as the lions ran in front of them, Quatre fell to the ground, grimacing in pain.

Trowa nearly screamed at his fall, but they didn't have time. The soldiers were picking themselves back up, snarling at the two, and without Quatre, they'd have to fight their way out. Praying to whatever god was up there, the tall boy grabbed his lover and slung him inelegantly over a shoulder, bolting for the nearby woods.

Quatre woke as soon as they reached the forest's edge, breathing in sharply. "TROWA!" He set him down, deeply concerned, only to see Quatre pointing to a faraway tower, where they could barely make out a figure plummeting toward the earth.

x---x

(25 minutes (or so) earlier…)

Shadows echoed across the empty parapet where Relena sat. The armchair seemed cold to her, now. Very, very cold.

Below, Sanc was whimpering in defeat. She could feel their loss through the grinding in her teeth, the tight bun holding her hair back.

They had all left her in their own way.

Dorothy, she had commanded to go. That reverberated in her thoughts. She had commanded the one person who might have truly cared out of her sight for speaking the truth. _Perhaps_, she thought, _things would have been different with Dorothy here. She knows war better than I do. She likes it more than I do, too._ Relena looked down at the sword resting on her lap. It had been a mistake to do that.

Lady Une had simply snuck out. Discarding her belief that she knew what was best for her love and the only thing that mattered in her lost existence, she had unbound her hair and strode down the stairs unnoticed as soon as Relena had stated she could do it herself. _Perhaps_, Relena thought, _that was a bad thing for me to have done too. I need people. I always have, and always will._ Une had been her first supporter, and the first to leave.

She frowned. Milliardo…her brother…

Relena swallowed, her chin tilting up a bit. Milliardo Peacecraft _was_ dead. All that remained was a look-alike named Zechs Marquise. And said look-alike was gone, too, after pleading with his sister to 'stop all this foolishness and leave with him'. She had refused, and when he had walked out the door, Relena had sat in the chair.

Lucrezia Noin had left with one simple, apathetic glance, and two sentences. "Atropos will come for you, Miss Relena, even with Dorothy alive." She had bowed in a strict, elegant manner that only a military woman could have perfected. "Good day, Miss Relena." And the blue-haired woman had walked down into the arms of her waiting, crushed lover.

Leaving her with the growing shadows, and the wailing cries from the field, and the cold, hard chair that seemed so much more comfortable when Dorothy had sat in it.

Leaving Relena Peacecraft alone with the silent breeze and her screaming conscience.

She smiled at the sound of footsteps on the stair. Maybe she wasn't alone, after all. Maybe she was just in the calm before the storm. Or, maybe she was simply waiting her escort to the executioner.

Light blue eyes looked down at her clasped hands, and she smiled softly. It didn't matter. Either way, she wouldn't be alone any more.

"You know, the funny thing about peace is that you gotta kill people to get it," a familiar voice echoed from the nearest shadows, and the figure of Heero Yuy stepped out from the stairs. Duo Maxwell himself seemed to materialize behind her, grinning in a way that made him positively terrifying. Violet eyes burned in the dark. "Told you there was no way out of this fight." Cool blue eyes met his own.

"I'm not trying to get out of it," Relena said calmly, and rose from her chair, thin sword in hand and held expertly. "I just have to wonder why I failed so miserably, and you get to have everything I've ever dreamed of." Duo rolled his eyes.

"Just go on and attack me, already," he snapped. "You know how much I hate you? I've been waiting patiently for more than a week to chop off your head, so get on with it!" Heero chuckled, and Relena's eyes quickly darted over to him. What she saw was a…happy man. She frowned. Heero Yuy looked happy, and it was because of her sworn enemy.

Doubt plagued her once more. Dear heaven, what am I doing, she thought, but her remorse wasn't fast enough. Duo had pulled out his collapsible scythe, and it sprang to life in one quick jerk and twist, glinting viciously in the afternoon sun. Is this how I die, she wondered almost as an afterthought, and a slow, sad smile appeared on her lips as she drew her sword into a ready stance.

"I do hope my soul tastes good enough for you, then," Relena said calmly. Duo chuckled, and swung his scythe into a ready position too.

"Nothing you are could be good enough for him," Heero said quietly, and pain welled up in her heart. Her thoughts began to circle back around. _Dorothy. Une. Milliardo. Lucrezia._

I'm alone I'm alone I'm alone I'm alone- 

Duo struck, and Relena barely had the time to draw her own sword up in time to meet the bizarre curved blade. Humming, he twisted, drawing the scythe low beneath her feet, and she jumped, feeling very proud of herself-

-and that lasted about two seconds before she felt the blade come back around and bite her in the calf. She screamed, writhing in agony, and fell to the stone floor. Shuddering and barely restraining another whimper, she could practically hear the smirks above her head.

You brought this on yourself, you manipulative bitch. You beat them, tortured them, used them, and played them, all for your stupid peace. So is this your peace? The final peace, more like it!

She barely cut off the voice, and attempted to stumble to her feet. Blood was soaking through her mostly-white skirt, which was now ripped apart.

"See? If I don't get around to eating your soul, I'll still make you bleed to death, at least," Duo said cheerfully, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and using her sword as a support pried herself off the floor, wincing. Duo and Heero blinked at her in confusion, and Relena couldn't help it. She began to cry. "I just want peace…"

Heero snorted. "Violence begets violence," he stated, and another tear rolled down her cheek. He was right, too. He was always right.

If violence caused more war, what was the opposite of hurting another? Saving yourself? That didn't sound right… "I'm sorry. So sorry." Duo rolled his eyes, shouldering his scythe.

"Well, it's a little late for that, what with bleeding to death and all," he said, that grin still in place. "Better than anything my powers can make up, anyway. It's great. You'll especially enjoy when your veins start to- What the FUCK?!"

Relena didn't hear him, instead choosing to hobble with all her might towards the edge of the parapets. Her heels were just over the edge, and she could barely stay upright with her calves bleeding onto the world below.

"You don't kill each other for it, you kill the problem," Relena gasped in pain, and the boys exchanged confused glances as Relena gasped again, eyes closed shut. "That's how you get it." Yes, that sounded right. "And I'm the problem."

It clicked, and she smiled, tears running down her face and blood running down her ankles. "I really do die for peace."

"Relena! Damn it, I get to kill you, not yourself," the braided boy snapped, striding forward, but before he had a chance to grab her and slit the annoyance's throat, she'd smiled brightly, and slid her feet beyond the wall.

Eyes closed in serenity, Relena Peacecraft hit the ground hard and died on impact.

x---x

Two weeks later, wind whipped through the sails of the dreaded pirate ship _Deathscythe. _

Trowa Barton, first mate, sat in the crow's nest with his new apprentice at his side. Green eyes cast wary glances back towards the blonde. "Are you doing okay?" Quatre nodded happily, enjoying the wind across his skin and Trowa's hand in his own- like it had been since they'd been reunited. Empathic depravation was something neither of them ever wanted to go through again.

"I'm wonderful," he sighed, curling up against Trowa (an impressive feat, since the crow's nest was little more than a barrel), who readily let the younger boy into his arms. "I really do like the sea. Much better than desert." Shyly, Quatre kissed his lover with a tantalizingly sweet yet chaste kiss. "And it's better company." Before Trowa could agree, though, there was an explosion on deck.

"DAMN IT, HEERO! PUT! ME! DOWN!" Duo whacked his fiancée upside the head, but Heero ignored him.

"You might have reinjured your leg," he stated, and Duo began to pout as Heero carried him off the deck and into their shared captain's quarters (even though Heero was officially termed the 'Captain's Mate', ironically). "I know you hate it when I have to carry you everywhere, so this seems acceptable." Without another word, he pulled Duo's pant leg up to an almost indecent level.

Heero's hand immediately went straight to the problem injury, and Duo couldn't help but shiver. "Explain to me again why you were straddling the railing," he asked, and the braided pirate just sent a grin and a naughty glint in his eyes back to Heero, who actually blushed. "Nevermind." Duo laughed.

"You should have seen where I caught Trowa and Quatre! I mean, I knew Trowa was a gymnast, but I thought Quat was-"

"DUO! We do NOT want to hear about that," came a forceful knock from the cabin next door. Duo rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and I guess I shouldn't say what I saw last night with YOU two," Duo snapped, and Hilde and Dorothy's cabin became suspiciously quiet. Heero smirked as Duo chuckled. "I thought so."

Just then, a finger ran back up his thigh, and Duo was about to yell out "HEERO!" in surprise. All he managed to get out was "HEE-", since a mouth full of tongue doesn't leave a lot of room for conversation.

But, Duo grinned, he was NOT about to complain about that.

x---x

The End/Owari

x---x

(1)I just realized I never told how Hilde turned into Attie! Okay, here's how it happened. Hilde was on Pirate duty of course, and Zechs showed up. There was a big fight, and Hilde lost. Lucrezia was sent out to find the washed up pirates, and ended up finding Hilde. Figuring she'd been a prisoner, she took the girl home, and we all know the rest of the story. I'm SO sorry Ididn't put it in...my brain's absolutely DEAD!

A/N: This is by far the WORST ending I have EVER DONE. Apologies. It's just, I was determined to get this done by at LEAST Thursday, and now it's 2:15 AM, so I'm going to bed. I'll be emailing Review Responses, since this _is_ the last chapter and all… sob. I liked this story.

Oh, and now because I am genuinely pissed off at myself for being so consistently, absurdly late, family crises notwithstanding, I hereby introduce you to Dante, the Muse of Nagging Luchia into Writing. Hey, not exactly a "muse" muse, but oh well. I have officially implanted him eternally into my brain, and I'm hoping he'll do his job.

Thank you very much for reading, please review, and I'm going to go to bed now. Thank you to all who have reviewed in the past, especially The Regulars. I love you guys!!! (nibbles on toblerone)

Luchia

(Lu-chan)

PS Next stories I'm working on are Prodigy and Chemical Romance, with a dash of Midareru on the side. Just in case you're curious, is all. )


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